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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 happened during Kelly's father's surgery that would set him up for problems later?

2. Who was the girl who babysat for Kelly's daughters?

3. Why was Kelly not so happy about the dress she wore to the event in #52?

4. Who was Kelly's mother?

5. Who bought a twelve-inch-long boa constrictor?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Kelly's life when she traveled to Australia after graduating college.

2. Why had Kelly become so enraged when Edward's father was visiting for Thanksgiving?

3. What had another chemo patient told Kelly about side effects and what did Kelly experience after her first treatment?

4. Why was befriending Claudia Regan in the sixth grade not a good move for Kelly?

5. Why did Mary ensure that Kelly's prom dress was conservative when she attended Booker's prom?

6. How did situations of two of her friends regarding mothers affect Kelly and thoughts of her children?

7. How did a twelve-inch boa constrictor become a household pet and how did Kelly feel about it?

8. What kind of support did Kelly receive after her breast cancer diagnosis and what was her attitude in communicating with people?

9. Why was Kelly unable to devote much time to her children lately and why was she afraid of catching infectious diseases?

10. Describe the saga of Kelly and her desire for Guess jeans when she was in high school.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the overall setting for the book. Why does the author use the setting she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

Essay Topic 2

Kelly Corrigan is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphor, and irony, and briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the impact that Kelly's childhood had on her as an adult. What did it mean to be the daughter of a doting father? What stigmas did Kelly live with for her entire life? How did Kelly use her childhood experiences to help in the creation of her life's work?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,225 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample