View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the river compared to in the first Book of Abigail?
(a) An old mirror.
(b) A dried up stream.
(c) A roaring lion.
(d) A black pit of nothingness.

2. What do people call "the bones of the earth," according to the author?
(a) A dry pond.
(b) The trees of winter.
(c) A rock outcropping in a valley.
(d) The granite outcroppings in winter fields.

3. In the first Book of Abigail, what does Abigail water?
(a) Roses.
(b) Pansies.
(c) Ferns.
(d) Geraniums.

4. What is William's first step in the adventure of going into the swamp?
(a) He cleans his guns.
(b) He buys a skiff.
(c) He packs food.
(d) He draws a map.

5. What is the eye color of the last William Howland's eyes?
(a) Blue.
(b) Brown.
(c) Gray.
(d) Green.

Short Answer Questions

1. What looks like a choppy sea to Abigail?

2. Who says that William's decision to remain a widower is indecent?

3. In the first Book of Abigail, what does Abigail believe she sees over the river?

4. From what state did William Marshall Howland originally come?

5. What poetry does the elder Abigail enjoy reading out loud before she leaves for college?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the appearance of the front yard in the first section/chapter?

2. Immediately after Lorena's death, what plants does William notice?

3. How is the content of "The Keepers of the House" organized?

4. What memories does Abigail think of after she thinks the owl flies over the river?

5. Why is the November evening so quiet and final?

6. Describe the still that William eventually finds.

7. What caused the "ugly smears" in the sky in October in the first section?

8. How does William live his life after the death of his wife and son?

9. Describe Lorena Adams.

10. Describe the land that William Marshall Howland claims.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 686 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample