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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. Initially, how does Yves make Myriam feel?

2. Whose notebooks did Lélia receive in a sealed envelope?

3. What did Anne bring on her birthday trip?

4. Who plans to cross the Pyrenees on foot?

5. How long was Myriam alone after her escape before Vicente arrived?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who wrote the postcard, and why?

2. According to Lélia, why did Myriam stay quiet about the past?

3. How did Vicente and Myriam's relationship change at the Hanged Man's House?

4. What was strange about Vicente registering Lélia's birth?

5. What was Marseille like for Myriam?

6. What was the condition of the returning deportees?

7. Describe Madame Chabaud.

8. What happened after Lélia asked who her biological father was?

9. Why did Myriam learn to celebrate Christmas?

10. In Chapter 25, what does Lélia tell Anne about her first months of life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Vicente Picabia? What does the reader learn about his upbringing as the story goes on? How does this impact his relationship with Myriam?

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think Anne is so vague about characters like Yves and his children with Myriam? What information is missing? Do you think that Berest is still able to tell an effective story without this background?

Essay Topic 3

The Postcard is written in a non-linear format, and it melds fact and fiction together. How does this contribute to the author's storytelling? Is it effective?

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