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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 Deanna tell Eddie is fairly rare to find in the forest?

2. Besides his family, what was the only thing that Lusa's grandfather brought to the United States from Poland?

3. What was Lusa's odd dream about in Chapter 5?

4. Who calls Garnett on the telephone in Chapter 14?

5. What does Deanna feel is now gone in her "secret place"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Eddie make Deanna nervous?

2. What is Deanna's main defense of coyotes, concerning the killing of farm livestock?

3. Do you think the way the townspeople treat Lusa at Cole's wake is right?

4. In Chapter 15, Lusa finds she is happier than she has been a long time. Explain this change.

5. Why does Deanna physically attack Eddie, in Chapter 7?

6. What does Nannie need to do to keep her organic farming certification valid?

7. What is Eddie like, at the beginning of the book and how does Deanna react to him?

8. What are Garnett's views of the Amish?

9. How does Lusa feel that the townspeople look at her, since Cole's death?

10. What is a "windfall" in the forest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although we never meet the character, Garnett Sheldon Walker IV, we learn about him from conversations in the novel. Describe the character, based on conversations of Garnett (his father) and Jewel. What was his upbringing like? How did his parents treat him? What did he do to warrant having to leave town and to be disowned by his father? How did he treat Jewel and the children? What are their opinions of him?

Essay Topic 2

Jewel states, "I have a girl that acts like a boy and a boy that acts like a girl". Cite specific examples from the book that prompt her to make this statement. Do you agree with her statement? Is their behavior that different from "traditional" gender behavior? Does this cause problems for them?

Essay Topic 3

Garnett appears to have a strong faith, in "Prodigal Summer", and likes to quote scripture. However, some of his opinions seem to contradict, not only the Bible, but also what some might view as a "Christian" attitude. Cite three examples from the book that would support this view. Be sure to address stereotypes, judging others, and views on animals' place on earth. Are Garnett's interpretations of the Bible solely to support his own views or do you think that he honestly believes them?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 795 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample