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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 in charge of the investigation into Driss's death?

2. Where does Jeremy go to bail Fierro out?

3. What is Coleman's first name?

4. Who comes to see Nora out of the blue at her father's wake?

5. Why does Nora think Driss leaves her what he leaves her in his will?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who tries to persuade Efrain to go to the police with his information, and why?

2. What early embarrassing experience does Maryam have in trying to speak to a stranger and make friends in Part I, during her early days in America?

3. Why does Jeremy go to see Mary in Part II?

4. What does Nora tell Jeremy that she feels about the money her father left her in Part II?

5. Why does Nora get upset at Salma's husband Tareq for his suggestions early in Part I?

6. Why is Coleman uncomfortable talking to Murphy?

7. What does Maryam do in the period that Nora thinks of as the "Cold War" phase of her parents' relationship?

8. When is the one time Jeremy remembers his father telling him he was proud of Jeremy?

9. What is the condition Jeremy places on bailing Fierro out of jail?

10. What happens at the school play that ruins it for Efrain?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Lalami reveal, at the end of the novel, as the critical event or conversation that finally begins to pave the way towards a more honest and respectful time in Nora's relationship with her mother Maryam? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help explain your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

What feelings and tensions does Lalami use to show the differences between Nora and Jeremy in terms of their feelings on the war, guns, and law enforcement to explore throughout the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Lalami treat the theme of infidelity in general, and what does Nora's discovery of her father's affair do to her perception of herself and her own affair with Max, a married man? 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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