View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What job does Henry only last a few hours at?

2. What does Mae do at her own mother's funeral?

3. Who is building a mansion on Brushy Mountain Road as the book opens?

4. Who is in Ava's dream that she has in Chapter 8?

5. Where does Sylvia tell JJ she really wanted to visit?

Short Essay Questions

1. Apart from the people in the online chat room, who is the first person Ava tells she is pregnant in Chapter 15?

2. What happens between Henry and the fortune-teller in New Orleans in Chapter 5?

3. What is the relationship between Mae and Jonnie Norwood, who co-run the restaurant called Sisters?

4. What kinds of things does Sylvia encourage Marcus to do?

5. How does Don feel about Jonnie's little girl, Sasha?

6. How does Sylvia respond to JJ when he tells her he still has feelings for Ava?

7. What does JJ always call Sylvia?

8. What kind of memories does Sylvia have about her own childhood?

9. What was the original purpose of Development Drive, where Sylvia's house is?

10. What is the significance of Brushy Mountain Road to residents of Pinewood, North Carolina?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the quote, “Every town has a section where the people are rich and their lives so far from yours you almost expect them to speak another tongue” (2). Write an essay analyzing why JJ Ferguson's return to Pinewood, North Carolina and his construction of his mansion is so significant to the town's residents, exploring the emotions this event unleashes. Cite specific references to the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think Sylvia continues to speak with, and eventually forms a bond with, Marcus, even though she has never met him in person and had no previous relationship with him before he randomly dialed her number from jail?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring the meaning of Ava's and Henry's reconciliation at the novel's conclusion. Has Henry achieved redemption? Cite specific references to the text in your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 648 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample