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1. Gerald's original intent for his book was an account of the natural history on the island of Corfu. Why did that change?

Gerald made the mistake of introducing his family in the first few pages. Once in the book, the family invited other friends to share in the chapters.

2. Why was it important to Gerry's mother that he mention she was a widow?

Gerrry's mother cared about what other people thought of her and her family. She did not want people to think she had children without a husband.

3. How did Gerry compress five years into one book?

Gerry was forced to prune the information. He also had to leave out many characters and events he wanted to describe.

4. What did Gerry think about his family's contribution to the book?

Gerry thought his family unconsciously provided a lot of material. The family argued and rarely agreed about any event he consulted them on.

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