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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. How long after opening the bookstore, was Fenno's shop showing a decent profit?

2. What trees can Fenno see from his bedroom window in Chapter 5?

3. What type of container holds the ashes for Paul?

4. In Chapter 5, when does Dennis say that he visited his dad in Greece?

5. How old was the dog that Fenno wanted to take home after his mother died?

Short Essay Questions

1. How long were Paul and Maureen married before they had children, and why did it take so long?

2. What is found in an old vase in Chapter 6?

3. How did Ralph and Fenno happen to find Armand dead at one of his bistro tables?

4. What was a major expenditure in furnishing the bookstore, and why was it a wise investment?

5. What are Fenno's nieces trying to do to him when he wakes at the beginning of Chapter 6?

6. Why did Maureen kill two puppies in Chapter 2?

7. Why does Paul choose to go to Greece?

8. Who was Tony Best?

9. What does Fenno say about his mother's death in Chapter 4?

10. What is inside the envelope that Fenno finds addressed to him in his father's desk?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mal and Fenno have a complicated relationship. What type of relationship do the two men have? What complicates and helps develop the friendship between the two men? How do the men grow and change because of their relationship?

Essay Topic 2

Death is a catalyst in the novel. How does Paul’s death affect Fenno? What does Fenno learn about life, family, and love because of his father’s death?

Essay Topic 3

Paul struggles with grief. How does Paul decide to deal with his grief, and how successful is he at making a new life for himself after his wife’s death?

(see the answer keys)

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