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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. Who does the boy find out is responsible for the murder of 1921?

2. When does Tony McIlhenny disappear?

3. Which two characters are introduced first at the beginning of the novel?

4. Why do the boy's father's drinking binges stop between 1920 and 1926?

5. On what day do the Francis and Frances' parents die?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the boy narrator fond of Aunt Katie?

2. Describe Crazy Joe.

3. Describe the boy's relationship with his mother.

4. What happens to Frances and Francis?

5. Why does the boy try to run away in Chapter 3?

6. Why does the boy throw a rock at Sergeant Burke's police car?

7. Why is Una's death seen as an outlet for the boy's mother?

8. Why is the disappearance of Uncle Eddie such a mystery?

9. When the boy's father takes him and his brother Liam out on the boat, what does his father reveal to them and why does it make the boy feel uncomfortable?

10. What causes the rat infestation mentioned in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Would it have been better if the mystery of Eddie's death was revealed earlier in the novel? How does the slowly unfolding mystery add to the boy narrator's character development? How does it shape him to become the man he grows up to be?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, the boy encounters and overcomes many difficult situations in order to piece together his family's history and to find out what happened to his uncle. The story is riddled with sadness, death, poor choices, and loss; how can this story be redeemed? Is there any hope in this story? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Aunt Katie and the boy's mother.

1.) Why does the boy's mother react negatively toward Katie?

2.) Compare and contrast the women's behavior toward the boy narrator.

3.) Ultimately, they both experience the loss of the same man. How does it affect each of them?

(see the answer keys)

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