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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. Why does JJ tell Sylvia he has not seen his sister recently?

2. What is one method Ava has tried to use to help her get pregnant in the past?

3. Who is Sylvia's sister?

4. What does Lana give Ava to drink at her house?

5. What does Sylvia say she will bring Marcus when she comes to visit him in jail?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the first person Ava confides in when she finds out Henry has a son he has never told her about?

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

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

4. How does Sylvia feel about JJ Ferguson?

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

6. What problem has Ava been struggling with for years that becomes apparent in Chapter 3?

7. What has happened to the town of Pinewood in recent years?

8. How does Ava react to seeing Henry's son for the first time when she comes across him in Walmart in Chapter 15?

9. What name does JJ tell Sylvia he goes by now in Chapter 10?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay exploring the relationship between Sylvia and Lana and how it is different from every other relationship in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Sylvia and Ava have a loving - but complicated - mother-daughter relationship. Write an essay analyzing the nature of Sylvia's and Ava's relationship, exploring the events from their past and their shared family history that contribute significantly to the tensions between them.

Essay Topic 3

One of the themes of this novel is the lack of opportunities and options for people, especially black people, in a depressed manufacturing town that has been losing jobs and residents for years. Do you think any of the characters on this novel would say achieving the American Dream is still possible? Write an essay explaining why or why not, citing references to the text in your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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