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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 suggests that Mina write her story about working with refugees?

2. Where does Rania Kassem go after leaving the camp?

3. Where does Francine want to live in America?

4. What classification of his work does the unnamed writer say embarrasses him?

5. How old is the unnamed writer when he tries on a dress for the first time?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Mina estranged from her parents and siblings except for Mazen?

2. Why does Francine not like Emma?

3. Who was the only person Mina ever talked about her family with and why?

4. What does the writer write about in "How to Make Liberace Jealous"?

5. Why is Mina's being a woman significant in her work as a doctor with the refugees?

6. In "I Missed You By This Much," what does Mina say about the writer?

7. In "Here Comes the Boat," why does Mina think the old woman is so mean to her adult son?

8. In "Here Comes the Boat," what is Mina surprised to hear about some of the young volunteers?

9. Whose betrayal hurt Mina more than that of her parents?

10. In "You Made Me Do It," who encourages Mina to write about her experiences and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you think Alameddine is trying to communicate to the reader with the unnamed writer's panic in hiding in his hotel room for much of his time on Lesbos? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How and why does Alameddine use humor most effectively in the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Alameddine chooses for Mina, the narrator, to address the unnamed writer as "you" throughout the novel? How does this choice affect the reader's ability to connect with both Mina's and the writer's perspectives? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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