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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Jesse do whenever Lily left him?

2. How does Tess shock Nate on the way to town?

3. When does Willa ride the fences on the ranch?

4. Who knocks on Willa's vehicle window?

5. How does Willa feel as she drives around the ranch?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tess decide to do about Nate's Christmas present and how does Willa feel about that?

2. With whom is Tess speaking on the phone at the wake, what does she tell the person, and what is Tess's intent concerning after the funeral?

3. Why do Tess, Lily and Adam ride out in the snow, what do they see, why do they argue, and what interrupts their argument?

4. In Chapter 9, what does Ham tell Willa about ranch hands and about what she needs to do?

5. What do Nate, Adam and Ben do after the party and the discovery outside?

6. What does the killer do after the New Year's Eve party?

7. How does Jesse Cooke feel about what is happening at the Mercy ranch and what does he plan to do?

8. Who is the second oldest daughter of the person in question #1, where did she come from and for what does she hope?

9. Who discovers Pickles' body, how does she feel about it, who else comes along, and what does he tell her?

10. Whose funeral is happening in the beginning of the book, what kind of a person was he and how does his daughter feel about the people at the wake?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Roberts chooses to write the novel as a third person, impersonal narrator. Discuss the following:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Montana Sky being written in the third person, impersonal narration?

2. Do you think the novel would be more effective in a different point of view? Which one if so? If not why do you think the impersonal narrator works the best?

3. Do you think the narrator in Montana Skya is reliable, i.e., do you believe the narrator is completely unbiased? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Nora Roberts.

2. What in Robert's background may have helped her in writing Montana Sky? What may have influenced the way she depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

Titles often play a vital role in making a person decide to read a particular book. Discuss the following:

1. Fully explain why you think Montana Sky is titled as such. Do you think it is the best title for the book? Why or why not? Can you think of a better title? Why would you choose it?

2. How important is a title in influencing you to consider reading a book? Explain your answer.

3. Do you think a title needs to have direct relevance to a book's content? Explain your answer.

4. Have you ever read a book that when you finished, you do not understand the relevance of the title? Does it discourage you from "trusting" that particular author again?

(see the answer keys)

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