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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 advice does Reverend Emmett give Ian as they are walking home after the prayer meeting in Chapter Six?

2. What is Curt's profession?

3. Who has the dream that a fat stranger will be hanging around Ian?

4. Where does Ian meet Eli Everjohn?

5. What is the name of Rita and Ian's new baby?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the children think that Ian needs a wife?

2. Why do the members of the Church of the Second Chance pitch in to paint Reverend Emmett's house?

3. Describe Eli Everjohn.

4. Describe Ariana Pennington's appearance.

5. What clothes does Daphne choose to wear to the dinner party?

6. When Rita begins talking about having children, why is Ian reluctant at first?

7. Describe Agatha's appearance when she returns for Thanksgiving after her mother has died.

8. When does Ian tell Reverend Emmett that he will not train for the ministry?

9. Describe Ian's uneasiness with Daphne and Gideon's relationship.

10. What does Daphne hang on the wall in the living room with the other family pictures?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain Doug Bedloe's role in the family. Do you think he is a character who sits on the sidelines of his family's life? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

What role does food play in the novel, especially as it relates to the Bedloe family holiday meals? Discuss how particular recipes are linked to family memories and why this is important.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the importance of Lucy's jewelry box. Why is it significant to the story that Agatha hides it, but Ian eventually discovers it? What information does the box reveal that causes Ian to change?

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