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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What month does Reta finally meet Arthur Springer for the first time at her home?
(a) January.
(b) February.
(c) November.
(d) April.

2. What does Reta notice on Norah's wrists?
(a) Scratches and bruises.
(b) Bandaids and gauze.
(c) Scabs and tattoos.
(d) Scabs and red sores.

3. The nature of _______dominates the conversation between Reta and Danielle at lunch.
(a) Love.
(b) Forgiveness.
(c) Virtue.
(d) Faith.

4. Why does Reta think that novel writing is perhaps a pointless exercise?
(a) Because it has not helped her heal from Norah's absence.
(b) Because there is so much moral injustice in the world.
(c) Because she is afraid that she lacks talent to continue.
(d) Because there are fewer readers interested in them.

5. What does Norah use to try and put out the flames from the woman's fire?
(a) A linen shirt.
(b) A wool rug.
(c) A plastic dish rack.
(d) A cotton blanket.

Short Answer Questions

1. Arthur tells Reta the day after Christmas that he is filled with admiration for what?

2. According to the friend who advised Reta as a young writer, what do obituaries contain?

3. What does Norah do when Reta attempts to forcibly remove her from her street corner?

4. In her review of a female author, Helt states that all relationships are seen through the lens of what?

5. Who is Dennis Ford-Halpern?

Short Essay Questions

1. In her letter to Russell Sandor, Reta states that she fears nothing. Why does she feel this way and how does she prove it in her letter?

2. What is Reta's central point in her letter to Helt?

3. How does Arthur feel about Roman, the other main character in Reta's novel?

4. What is Reta's impression of Arthur Springer when she finally meets him at her home in January and how do they get into a heated discussion?

5. At the end of the novel, what do we learn about the reason for Norah's disappearance and subsequent homelessness?

6. How do the meetings with her friends at the Orange Blossom Room ground Reta in reality?

7. Why does Reta call Dennis Ford-Halpern's omission of women in his book "The Goodness Gap" a "moral dilemma in itself"?

8. When Tom calls to inform Reta that Norah is in the hospital, how does the point of view change in the novel?

9. In her letter about the death of Peter Harding, how does Reta compare herself to Norah?

10. What does Reta notice on Norah's wrists that cause Tom to forget his trilobites and research stress and trauma?

(see the answer keys)

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