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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 did Armand's sister live?

2. How many acres did Colin Swift own?

3. What would Fenno miss after Armand died?

4. When did Fenno and Ralph find Armand dead?

5. What month did Fenno's bookstore open?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Colin Swift?

2. Why did Mal ask Fenno to be his health proxy?

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

4. What do Veronique and her daughters wear for Paul's funeral?

5. How was the bookstore doing a year and a half after Ralph and Fenno opened the shop?

6. What does Paul do for a living, and how does he like his job?

7. Why does Paul choose to go to Greece?

8. Who was Tony Best?

9. How and where does Paul die?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Fern’s friend Anna does not believe in fate, but destiny. What is the difference between fate and destiny? How does the author show that people are in charge of their lives, and that their choices lead them to the lives they are meant to have, rather than being at the mercy of fate?

Essay Topic 2

Fenno discovers that having family makes life worthwhile. When does Fenno begin to realize the importance of family? How does this realization affect him? In what ways does it change him and the way he lives life?

Essay Topic 3

The author said that love depends “upon an ecosystem, a context.” What is meant by that phrase? In what ways is the delicacy of love revealed in the novel? Is love still attainable in spite of its fragility?

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This section contains 779 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample