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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. How does Ayinde feel about Richard leaving?

2. Who calls Becky and Andrew early in the morning?

3. What one word would describe Kelly in "August Kelly"?

4. What makes Ayinde say "Ouch"?

5. What news does Steve tell Kelly in June?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the symbolism of Lia tucking her hair under the baseball cap as she heads for the Parents Together Grief group?

2. Jennifer Weiner paints a picture of motherhood in the opening scene of "August Becky." How is this picture humorous?

3. Why is the thought of having intercourse so hard for Kelly?

4. In "August Becky," what breakthroughs does Lia make with the loss of her son?

5. Becky always seems to worry about her weight. How is this self-consciousness shown in the chapter "June Becky"?

6. When Richard asks if "it's supposed to be this hard" and he answers "everything" to Ayinde. What does Richard mean by "everything"?

7. How does Ayinde feel about her mother sending her the book Priscilla Prewitt's Baby Success?

8. What are some reasons Becky refuses or does not want to speak to Mimi, her mother-in-law?

9. What is the symbolism of Mimi wearing a white dress to Becky and Andrew's wedding?

10. Why does the director tell Ayinde that no one will tune in to watch her read the news?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

All four main characters become unexpectedly best friends. Learning each main character's personalities, does this surprise you? In what ways is it beneficial for these four women to become best friends? In what ways is it harmful for these four women to become best friends?

Essay Topic 2

Three of the main characters all take a different approach to raising their children. Kelly takes the professional route and keeps track of everything on spreadsheets, Ayinde follows the book Baby Success, and Becky has a laid back approach. How do these particular strategies work out for them? If an approach does not seem to work out for them, what other approach do you think they should try and why? Does any one approach seem to work better than the others?

Essay Topic 3

Both Ayinde and Kelly consider divorce at some point during the story. Ayinde thinks of a chapter from Baby Success that focuses on babies as the ones that really matter and that babies do better with a mommy and daddy under the same roof. Do you agree with this advice? Why / why not? Should Ayinde have patched things up with Richard? Why / why not? Do you think either Kelly or Ayinde should have followed through with a divorce? Why / why not?

(see the answer keys)

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