2. What items are NOT in the package Christine and Natalie bring Norah after Christmas break?
(a) A thermos and gloves.
(b) A tracksuit and soap.
(c) A brush and comb.
(d) Fruit and chocolate.

3. In her letter to Ford-Halpern, how does Reta think other daughters can be protected from Norah's fate?
(a) By imposing stricter vagrancy laws.
(b) By sacrificing happiness for honor.
(c) By allowing them to be fully human.
(d) By giving speeches across the country.

4. Why does Reta have difficulty carrying on a conversation with Arthur when he comes o her home for the first time?
(a) Because he never stops speaking.
(b) Because she doesn't understand him.
(c) Because she is preoccupied.
(d) Because he asks too many questions.

5. What is the short story writer's name who Reta writes a letter to?
(a) Richard Smiley.
(b) Renee Simon.
(c) Robert Spiller.
(d) Russell Sandor.

Short Answer Questions

1. What great themes of literature does Reta tell Helt she learned while in high school?

2. How does Reta sign her letter to Ford-Halpern?

3. Why does Arthur tell Reta the day after Christmas that he has been up all night?

4. What does Reta notice on Norah's wrists?

5. What does Francis Quinn tell Reta and Tom about the gloves Norah has been wearing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Lois's conversation with Arthur when she comes over to investigate about dinner significant?

2. According to Reta, why is goodness not a guaranteed virtue?

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

4. When Reta and Tom consult a psychiatrist about Norah, what does he tell them and how do they respond?

5. According to Gemma Walsh, Reta's friend who has been appointed Chair of Theology, the Christian faith is balance on the words "already" and "not yet." Why does Reta find this significant?

6. Why does an older friend of Reta's advise her to read obituaries as a young writer?

7. What is Lois's true opinion of what happened to Norah that she is afraid to express?

8. Describe Reta and Lois's relationship.

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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