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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 does Wilhelmina leave in the place of the loaf of bread she takes from the bakery when she first visits in Chapter 3?

2. What is Mrs. Cooper’s first name in the novel?

3. The narrator describes Viviane in Chapter 4 as instigating a neighborhood rivalry with the kids from what area?

4. How does the narrator describe John Griffith’s feelings for Emilienne Lavender in the beginning of Chapter 5?

5. In the community of Pinnacle Lane, Emilienne is perceived by her neighbors to be what during her first year there?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the dog Trouver find his way into the home on the hill at Pinnacle Lane? What does Trouver’s name mean?

2. What does Wilhelmina do the first two times she comes to Emilienne’s bakery in Chapter 3?

3. How would you describe the narrative style of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender?

4. How does Ava describe her birth in the novel’s Prologue? When and where was Ava born?

5. Where did Emilienne’s family move when she was eight, according to the narrator in Chapter 1? Why?

6. What causes Viviane to become concerned for Ava’s safety in the beginning of Chapter 13?

7. Where are Jack and Viviane in the beginning of Chapter 6? How old are they in the beginning of the chapter?

8. What does Ava say she wishes and wonders about her mother when she was young in Chapter 4?

9. When does Ava say Henry was “freed from our mother’s protective rule on the hill” in Chapter 11? Why?

10. How does the onset of World War II affect the Griffith home in Chapter 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of motherhood in the novel. How would you compare Emilienne as a mother to Mrs. Beauregard Roux? What circumstances have influenced Emilienne’s capacities as a mother? How does Viviane differ as a mother in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the character of Viviane Lavender in the novel. How does Viviane differ from her mother? How are they alike? With whom is Viviane closest as a child?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of Wilhelmina Dovetail in the novel. How old is Wilhelmina when she first arrives at Pinnacle Lane? How is her appearance described? How is Wilhelmina regarded by Emilienne when they first meet?

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