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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. For how long had Carolyn perpetuated her crime?

2. How did Nancy get the clothing in #40?

3. What did Nancy put on to go to her temp job?

4. Who was the man who owned the accounting firm where Nancy had a temp job?

5. Why has Wally been asked to come teach at the facility in #6?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Isadore Weintraub, and what role did he play in Nancy's life?

2. How did Nancy begin her story with a memory of her father and his airplane?

3. Why did Nancy not like the book, "Wind, Sand, and Stars" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery even though she had enjoyed his "The Little Prince"?

4. How did Nancy's family disintegrate and how did Nancy manage being alone with her abusive mother?

5. Why was Wally originally asked to come to the York Correctional Institution in 1999?

6. How did Nancy view "The Wizard of Oz" once she worked through some psychological issues?

7. What trauma did Tabatha endure from the age of four and how did she get introduced to pot and alcohol?

8. When did Wally Lamb know that he wanted to be a teacher, and in which type of students was he particularly interested?

9. Describe how Nancy and Isadore were complete opposites.

10. Describe some of Carolyn's experiences during a very troubled childhood.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Overall, do the women's stories end on a note of hope for them or the continuance of struggles to come to terms with flawed relationships, mental illnesses, societal pressures, etc.? Give your perspective and two reasons to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in the book. Why would these women have had lonely lives in America in the mid 20th century? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the significance of the book's title. What does Wally Lamb mean by calling it "Couldn't Keep it to Myself"? What was he trying to emphasize with this emphatic style? Suggest three alternate titles for this book with supporting rationale for each one.

(see the answer keys)

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