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. Where did Mina and Mazen first meet after her estrangement from the family?

2. What does the unnamed writer say when a reader asks what his biggest losses from the worst years of the AIDS crisis were?

3. What does Emma tell Mina some of the younger volunteers do with refugees that shocks Mina?

4. What does Francine specialize in?

5. What group of volunteers is one of the most effective on the island in Part I?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Francine not like Emma?

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

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

4. In what way does Mina remember her mother loving herself and her siblings?

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

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

7. In "Doctors in Drag," why does the family ask Mina if she is a man?

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

9. In "Here Comes the Boat," why does Mina think the old woman is so mean to her adult son?

10. What does the writer write about in "How to Make Liberace Jealous"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What specific aspects of Mina's childhood does Alameddine reveal to the reader over the course of the novel that provide the reader with some insights and understanding into the struggles she faced as a result of her gender identity? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Why is Mina's relationship with her brother Mazen so important to her, and to both of them? What specific details does Alameddine reveal to the reader about the siblings' relationship to help readers understand its centrality to Mina's character? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Why does Mina ultimately help Sumaiya to end her own life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusion.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 711 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample