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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. Where does the ferry take the refugees from Lesbos?

2. Who accompanies Mina and Jennifer on their trip to Indonesia?

3. What does Francine remind Mina she is in Lesbos to do at the very end of Part II?

4. Where did Mina's mother come to as a young country girl in Part II?

5. Who asks Mina to come work with refugees in Part I?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Here Comes the Boat," what is Mina surprised to hear about some of the young volunteers?

2. Why does Francine not like Emma?

3. Who is Mina meeting from her family in Lesbos and why is this significant?

4. Why has Emma asked Mina to come help on Lesbos?

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

6. What does Mina remember her mother spending a lot of extra money on when she was a child?

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

8. Why do Mina and Asma have a special affinity?

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

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

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 Mina's conversation with the unnamed writer in the last chapter - about the unnamed writer's assertion that he can never write another word about refugees, and his urging for Mina to write her own story on the subject instead - affect the reader's perspective about the entire book at its very end? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

What do you think Alameddine is trying to communicate to the reader with the unnamed writer's panic in hiding in his hotel room for much of his time on Lesbos? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 638 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample