View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is one young child anxious to show his grandmother in Part I, just after they land onshore?

2. What happens to Rania Kassem's husband?

3. Where did Mina's father often hunt?

4. Who was Mina's first romantic partner?

5. Who is Emma romantically partnered with in Part I?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is one of Emma's most defining characteristics, according to Mina?

2. In "Here Comes the Boat," why is Mina so concerned about Sumaiya?

3. Why is Mina estranged from her parents and siblings except for Mazen?

4. Who did Mina worship as a young child and try to model herself after?

5. What was the writer's first experience in drag?

6. In "You, the Nervous Wreck," what does Mina say is the influence of the writer's work on her decisions?

7. Why is Mina's being a woman significant in her work as a doctor with the refugees?

8. What does Mina buy for the children in "The Little Rascals Go to Camp" and how does this turn out?

9. In "I Missed You By This Much," what does Mina say about the writer?

10. Whose betrayal hurt Mina more than that of her parents?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Alameddine explores a range of strong emotions at a fever pitch throughout the novel - fear, anger, frustration, sadness, and even joy. Write an essay analyzing Alameddine's tone at different points throughout the novel, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Alameddine describe Mina's process of gender transition? Why do you think he chooses to pace the revelations about Mina's gender transition the way he does throughout the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What does Alameddine's book title refer to, and why do you think he chose this title for this novel? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 593 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample