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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. Who bought Devon some food at McDonald's in Chapter 30?

2. What does Sylvia pick up Lana in her car to do with her in Chapter 22?

3. What memory does Lana share with Sylvia when Sylvia says their father was not that bad?

4. What is Lana's husband's name?

5. What does Lana say when Sylvia asks her if she will go to Simmy's again before it closes?

Short Essay Questions

1. What memory about working for a white family does Don share with Jonnie in Chapter 25?

2. What does Jimmy Patterson try to do for Devon in Chapter 30?

3. What memory about burning trash in a barrel as a child does JJ share with Ava at Simmy's in Chapter 20?

4. What errand does Sylvia take Lana with her to do in Chapter 22 that is related to Marcus?

5. What kinds of emotions does Sylvia experience the first time Ava brings her to JJ's house on Brushy Mountain Road?

6. Why is JJ hesitant to bring Ava to Simmy's to eat the first time he sees her in Pinewood after decades?

7. What does Lana suggest that she and Sylvia do together in Chapter 29 to calm themselves a bit?

8. What does Ava hope might happen when she and JJ go to the spot where Devon died?

9. Why does Sylvia seem to decide she can not help Marcus any longer in Chapter 33?

10. What happens between Devon and the unnamed old woman who he helps with cleaning her basement?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Many black characters in the book harbor pain and terrible memories of the era of segregation. Write an essay analyzing some of the symbols, settings, or customs that most remind them of this era.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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