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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 5, what does Sam witness that makes her feel intensely lonely?

2. Where do Sam and her husband sleep together for the first time?

3. When did Sam and her husband first meet?

4. What does MH tell Sam that pursuing her complaint against the police will result in?

5. How does the audience react to Sam's open mic routine?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of Sam's happiest memories of being with Lily and Ally?

2. Why is Sam's open mic night such a terrible disaster?

3. In Chapter 18, what does Sam witness that greatly disturbs her?

4. What does Ally think about the likelihood of her father figuring out her affair?

5. Who does Sam call for advice about how to handle what she sees the police do in Part III and why?

6. What are some of Ally's emerging doubts about Joe's work?

7. What is the first of Sam's so-called "rage events"?

8. What does Ally tell Joe about her mother's open mic routine?

9. Why does Sam decide not to confront Ally at the fair?

10. How does Sam fall back into the pattern of having sex with Matt again?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Spiotta explain the evolution of Sam's and Ally's relationship over time? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Ally really seem to feel about her relationship with Joe, and how does Spiotta communicate these feelings to the reader? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

What role do politics and ideology seem to play in Sam's and Matthew's relationship, from the beginning to their separation? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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