View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Mary Rose go to Albuquerque in Part II?

2. What did Ginny's grandmother used to say about beauty?

3. What does Dale Strickland say when he hears the police arrive at Mary Rose's house?

4. What does Corrine tell Robert Whitehead when she sees him late at night in Part I?

5. Why is Mary Rose seen as a pariah by the women in the church?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part I, what does Gloria do to the old man and woman who are watching her as she considers getting into Strickland's truck?

2. In Part I, why had it been a bad winter for the Whitehead family?

3. Why do Debra Ann and Jesse seem to form a bond so quickly with each other?

4. What does Suzanne Ledbetter tell Mary Rose about Potter that Mary Rose has never heard before?

5. What happens frequently to Mary Rose after moving to town that unsettles and enrages her?

6. What does Mary Rose do that she never tells anyone about a few months before becoming pregnant with the son she is currently nursing in Part II?

7. In Part II, what does Ginny briefly consider before leaving town?

8. What does Debra Ann want most in the world that she asks her paper fortune-teller?

9. What injury does Jesse Belden have that made it so that he did not notice Debra Ann coming into his hiding place?

10. Who does Debra Ann take things from to give to Jesse Belden and what are some of the things she steals?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In this novel, Wetmore writes from the first-person perspective only for the sections narrated by Mary Rose and one section towards the close of the novel titled "Karla." (268). Write an essay analyzing the affect Wetmore's decision to write in this way has on the reader and on the reader's understanding of the characters and the action.

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think Jesse and Debra Ann get along so well - and have such a strong and enduring connection - despite their age and gender differences? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why is Corrine determined to keep herself apart from the women who are active in the church group in Odessa, and how is Corrine different from all of those women in her attitudes, actions and outlook? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 829 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample