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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. Ginny cannot think of ________ without thinking of her room, which she cannot think of without thinking of her father.

2. Jess is thrilled about the idea of a farm, but admits he has difficulty _____________ so he might not want the farm.

3. Thinking that runners like __________, Ginny decides to wait in her tomato garden for Jess to come by again.

4. Spurning dry clothes, Larry had insisted that his ________ and banker be summoned in the storm.

5. Who upends the Monopoly game in Pete's lap when she hears the news of the unknown wedding?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when the trucks and the tractors broke during the past when Larry and Harold were around?

2. What did Harold buy for himself without consulting Larry, which made Larry a bit upset?

3. What is Larry's response to the questions of Ginny and Ty after he is released from the hospital?

4. What happened to the Ericson farm, according to Ginny's memory of the time it was purchased?

5. What is Marc Griffin, the banker, worried about in relation to the actions of Larry on his farm?

6. How does Ginny describe the dimensions of her flat world as an 8-year-old in 1951?

7. When Pete mentions overhearing that Harold is going to be changing his will, how does Jess respond?

8. Describe the way that Marv Carlson, the banker, eats when he arrives at Larry's house the morning after the pig roast.

9. What happens to Ginny after she cleans the carpet in her house, a task which takes her until noon?

10. What does Ginny currently do for three households each and every day when she is 36?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At times, it seems the author is not revealing a lot about some characters, which causes those characters to be more mysterious and more difficult to understand.

Part 1: Why do you think the author felt it was so important to focus on the lives of Ginny and Rose?

Part 2: Why do you think Caroline was ignored a bit as a character in the story?

Part 3: What is the value of not revealing everything about a character in a novel?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the story it is obvious that Ginny wants to have a baby, but at the same time, this goal is clouding her interpretation of events around her.

Part 1: Do you think the story would have been different had Ginny already had children?

Part 2: How do Ginny's fertility issues cloud the storytelling? Or don't they?

Part 3: What might be the symbolism of Ginny's fertility issues in relation to the events which take place?

Essay Topic 3

The role of the family in this book is a complicated one, however, that could be said for all families in some respect.

Part 1: How do you think family is defined in this story? What makes up a family?

Part 2: Are there any characters in this story who support a healthy family relationship? Who? Why? If not, why not?

Part 3: Do you think the family could have changed their unhealthy ways? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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