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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. Why did Abdullah's best friend, Jafer, and a woman named Fayza have to elope to be together?

2. What happened between Sultana and Kareem when she returned home with Fatma?

3. When Amani began to invite friends and extended family over for meetings, what was the purpose?

4. What part in Abdullah's plan did Sultana actually play?

5. When Sultana and Fatma returned home, how did Sultana feel on the drive back?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the weeks after the holy pilgrimage, Sultana began to see great changes in Amani's actions and personality. Describe some of Amani's actions and personality changes that frightened Sultana and made her fear that Amani might one day join an extremist terrorist cult.

2. Due to the stress of what was happening with her children in the beginning of Chapter 9, Sultana developed what some call a "nervous twitch." Explain how Sultana's stress manifested itself into this "nervous twitch" and what type it was.

3. Amani learned of a horrible family secret involving Ali's son, Majed. Explain what happened to the woman in the hospital and how Majed was involved.

4. In the Epilogue, the sisters all gathered to remember their mother and to catch up on each other's lives. What did they learn had become of both Ali's wife, Nada, and their sister, Reema?

5. Explain what Sultana found was missing from the family's safe after Kareem had suspicions about Abdullah's interest in helping his friend Jafer.

6. How did Sultana describe her sister, Reema's, appearance and demeanor that made her different from all the other sisters in the family?

7. Explain what obstacle Ali faced after divorcing his wife, Nada, for the third time.

8. Explain why female circumcision was still practiced in Saudi Arabia during Sultana's lifetime.

9. In addition to other important items, it was revealed that Abdullah also took nearly one million dollars in cash from the family safe. Explain what Abdullah did with that money and how Kareem felt about it.

10. When the sisters went to visit with Reema, how did her husband, Saleem, react when he saw Reema's condition?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Early in the book, Sultana wondered if her daughter, Maha, and her sister Sara's daughter, Nashwa, had been switched at birth. What similarities to Sara did Maha display as a child? What similarities to Sultana did Nashwa display as a young adult?

Essay Topic 2

Prior to leaving on a holy pilgrimage, Muslims are required to go through a process of cleansing and purification called Ihram.

Part 1) Explain the various aspects of Ihram and the cleaning or purification value of each.

Part 2) Describe Sultana's struggle with the processes of Ihram. Why did she have so much trouble?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the book, stories of horrific acts against women are told. Recall the actions and attitudes toward women of two men, Ali and Yousif, and explain how each of them felt toward women and their role in Saudi society. How are they the same? How are they different?

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