Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. Who does Mami say is her first love?

2. What is the name of the troublesome plant that grows in Mami’s rose garden?

3. Which vocation does Lupita plan to pursue in exchange for God protecting Mami’s life?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What secret is Mami keeping from the children?

2. Why does Lupita end her friendship with her best friend, Mireya?

3. What is the future Mami envisions for Lupita?

Paired Resource

Mesquite entry on Texas A&M's Virtual Herbarium

• The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides images, descriptions, and information on the mesquite’s usual habitat and role in its ecosystem.
• This resource gives students a visual reference for the novel’s most important symbol; the information on its dangers as a toxin and other roles in its environment will prompt students to consider the symbolic meanings of the mesquite and prepare them for its role reversal later in the novel.
• What is the role of the mesquite in the novel so far? Why do you think the author chose to open the story with the definition of “mesquite” as an epigraph? How do you predict the mesquite will become important to Lupita’s story?