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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 is Ford's first grade teacher?

2. What does Ford's grandmother tell her about her father in Chapter 4?

3. What is one way Ford has stayed at least a little bit connected to her father over the years?

4. What does Ford sense about her interactions with her grandfather?

5. Why does Ford's mother blame herself for her baby's death in Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 7, what happens that traumatizes Ford's mother?

2. What does Ford's mother become obsessed with regarding her children in Chapter 9?

3. Why does Ford suspect her mother stays with Allen?

4. How does Ford remember life on her great-grandfather's farm in Missouri?

5. In Chapter 10, what does Ford's grandfather do in front of her that horrifies her?

6. What offer does Ford's mother make to her in Chapter 1 that Ford finds herself recoiling from, and why?

7. Why does Ford become so fixated on seeing the sunrise for the first time?

8. What kind of relationship does Ford have with her brother R.C. when they are children?

9. What does Ford often do in Chapter 1 as a way to both calm herself and demonstrate love for her partner?

10. What does Ford's mother do when she hears from Ford's teacher Mrs. York that Ford has said inappropriate things in school?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ford begins her memoir with the shocking news that her father is finally being released from prison after serving a decades-long sentence for rape. Write an essay exploring the range of Ford's feelings upon hearing this news, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Why and how does Ford struggle with her changing body after going through puberty, and what are some of the pressures and expectations others lay on her shoulders? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Grandma Billie's religious faith and commitment shape Ford's attitudes and perceptions of church, God, and spirituality? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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