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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. Which of the following statements was not one of Joan's thoughts about the remark that she had everything she wanted?
(a) She did have everything she wanted.
(b) She had everything she was told she should want.
(c) What she had was a far cry from what she really desired.
(d) Women got used to wanting only what was available.

2. In Chapter 2, The Call of the Seal, what time do the birds begin chattering in the morning at Joan's cottage?
(a) Four thirty.
(b) Eight thirty.
(c) Five thirty.
(d) Six thirty.

3. What was Joan instructed to bring for her trip to the seal island?
(a) Warm clothes and a sandwich.
(b) A blanket, coat and gloves.
(c) A bathing suit and sunscreen.
(d) A camera.

4. With what did Joan and her husband decorate their Christmas tree in Chapter 7, Silent Seas, Silent Nights?
(a) Joan's old necklaces.
(b) Seashells.
(c) Garlands of popcorn and candy canes.
(d) Old Victorian ornaments from Joan's grandmother.

5. What lesson did the seals teach Joan?
(a) That she needed to be in the sea more.
(b) That she needed to interact with animals more.
(c) That she needed to live like a child again and enjoy life.
(d) That she needed to swim more.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old was Joan Erickson when Joan met her?

2. What victory did Joan think she had won when she reached the finish line of the race?

3. How many Christmas cards did Joan send during her year alone at the cottage?

4. In Chapter 6, Waves of Truth, how many years had passed since Joan's sons had spent Christmas with her?

5. From whom did Joan get the wobbly kitchen table in the cottage?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of job did Joan get in Chapter 4, Riptide, and why didn't she ask her husband for financial help instead of getting a job?

2. How did Joshua Cahoon treat Joan when he took her to the seal island?

3. How did Joan's personality differ from her husband's?

4. What was Larry's PX and how did the men who congregated there respond to Joan's presence?

5. In Chapter 9, Fogged In, how did Joan compare women to fog?

6. What is ebb tide and how did Joan relate the concept of ebb tide to her own life?

7. How did Joan fare in the footrace in Chapter 8, Getting My Feet Wet, and what did the race symbolize to her?

8. Who was Joan Erikson and how did Joan meet her?

9. In Chapter 6, Waves of Truth, why did Joan get angry at the fish market customer who looked like Santa Claus?

10. In Chapter 9, Fogged In, why was Joan concerned about her writing career?

(see the answer keys)

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