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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. In Chapter 7, how long has Fenno lived in New York?

2. How old are the four women who travel together on the trip to Greece?

3. What does Paul do for a living?

4. What sheltered the garden where Armand had died?

5. Where did Tony Best grow up?

Short Essay Questions

1. How many dogs were left after Maureen died, and what happened to them?

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

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

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

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

6. What other option did Fenno have instead of opening the bookstore with Ralph?

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

8. What is the favorite piece that Marjorie buys on the trip to Greece?

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

10. Who was Tony Best?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Fern, Tony, Fenno, Dennis, and Richard discuss motherhood in the last section of the book. Do they have a shared definition of what motherhood is? How does the way that each person was raised affect his/her view of motherhood? How did the mothers who raised these people affect their children's lives and the people their children became?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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This section contains 850 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample