Quiz A Thousand Broken Pieces Tillie Cole

A Thousand Broken Pieces Quiz: 20 Questions on Grief, Love, and Healing

How well do you remember the details of Tillie Cole's A Thousand Broken Pieces? This quiz spans the entire novel—from the first panic attack to the final engagement under the stars. Each question is based directly on the events and themes of the story. After you finish, check the answer key for explanations.

Plot and Sequence Questions

  1. What does Savannah's counselor Rob tell her about at the start of the novel?
    A) A new medication for anxiety
    B) A funded five-country therapy trip for grieving teens
    C) A memorial service for her sister Poppy
    D) A school transfer to Blossom Grove

  2. Why does Cael initially refuse to join the grief therapy trip?
    A) He is too angry and drives to his old hockey arena
    B) He has to attend hockey practice
    C) He doesn't want to leave his parents
    D) He is afraid of flying

  3. In England, what does Cael do with the therapy journal he receives?
    A) He writes in it every night
    B) He burns it publicly
    C) He gives it to Savannah
    D) He uses it for drawing

  4. During the trip to Norway, what pact do Cael and Savannah make?
    A) To share all their secrets
    B) To pretend to be normal teenagers and use a two-squeeze hand signal
    C) To never speak of their grief
    D) To write to each other every day

  5. In Goa, what does Cael paint during art therapy?
    A) A cherry blossom grove
    B) A hockey rink
    C) A black-and-red void
    D) A portrait of his brother

  6. What cultural festival do the group participate in while in Varanasi?
    A) Diwali
    B) Holi
    C) Ganga Aarti
    D) Cherry blossom viewing

  7. In Japan, what art form does Aika teach the group?
    A) Origami
    B) Kintsugi
    C) Ikebana
    D) Calligraphy

  8. Why does Cael leave the trip early?
    A) He is angry at Savannah
    B) He needs to attend a residential program for intensive therapy
    C) He has a hockey scholarship interview
    D) He misses his parents

Character Motivation Questions

  1. Short Answer: Why does Savannah refuse to read Poppy's notebook for four years?

  2. What motivates Cael to finally agree to go on the therapy trip?
    A) His parents force him after he shatters Cillian's hockey stick
    B) He wants to meet new friends
    C) He hopes to find a hockey team in Europe
    D) He wants to escape his angry feelings

  3. Why does Dylan choose to confide in Savannah about Jose?
    A) He knows Savannah also lost a sibling
    B) He feels Savannah is trustworthy and understands hidden grief
    C) He wants to upset Cael
    D) He is forced to by Mia

  4. Short Answer: Why does Cael burn his therapy journal at the start of the trip?

  5. What motivates Savannah to decide to become a pediatric oncologist?
    A) Her therapist suggests it
    B) She meets a terminally ill girl named Tala and wants to cure cancer in Poppy's honor
    C) Her parents want her to study medicine
    D) She needs a career that pays well

Theme and Symbol Questions

  1. What does the kintsugi plate symbolize for Cael and Savannah?
    A) The permanence of death
    B) The beauty that can come from repairing broken things
    C) The importance of perfection
    D) The need to forget the past

  2. The northern lights appear as a pink ribbon that Savannah interprets as a sign from Poppy. What theme does this reinforce?
    A) The randomness of nature
    B) The idea that lost loved ones are still present
    C) The scientific explanation of auroras
    D) The danger of superstition

  3. Short Answer: What does the cherry blossom (sakura) symbolize in the story?

  4. The Wind Phone in Japan represents what theme?
    A) The importance of technology
    B) The need to speak to the deceased to find closure
    C) A way to call for help
    D) The Buddhist concept of reincarnation

Synthesis Questions

  1. How do the different cultural traditions (Taj Mahal, Día de los Muertos, shiva, Ganga Aarti, Wind Phone) collectively express a central theme?
    A) That grief is the same everywhere
    B) That honoring lost loved ones helps healing, and culture provides unique rituals
    C) That only certain cultures accept death
    D) That travel is the only cure for grief

  2. Short Answer: How does Cael's anger at his brother's suicide transform by the end of the story?

  3. Both Savannah and Cael find purpose through their grief. Which statement best summarizes this?
    A) Savannah becomes a doctor and Cael plays hockey to forget
    B) Savannah dedicates her career to fighting cancer, and Cael reclaims hockey in memory of Cillian
    C) They both avoid talking about their siblings
    D) They move to a new country to start over

Answer Key

  1. B. Rob tells Savannah about a funded five-country therapy trip for grieving teens. (Outline, Chapter 4)
  2. A. Cael is too angry and drives to his old hockey arena, where he punches a memorial frame and shatters Cillian's stick. (Outline, Chapter 5)
  3. B. Cael publicly burns the journal, refusing to write to his deceased brother Cill. (Outline, Chapter 7)
  4. B. They agree to pretend to be normal teenagers and use a two-squeeze hand signal. (Outline, Chapter 11)
  5. C. Cael's painting emerges as a black-and-red void, forcing him to confront his brother's suicide. (Outline, Chapter 15)
  6. B. The group participates in Holi, the festival of colors. (Outline, Chapter 19)
  7. B. Aika teaches the Japanese art of kintsugi—repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer. (Outline, Chapter 25)
  8. B. Leo recommends immediate departure for intensive therapy, and Cael agrees for his own healing. (Outline, Chapter 29)
  9. Short Answer: Savannah fears that finishing the last page will make the loss final. (Outline, Chapter 4; Chapter 6)
  10. A. After shattering Cillian's hockey stick on the frozen pond, Cael accepts he must go. (Outline, Chapter 5)
  11. B. Dylan feels Savannah is trustworthy and understands hidden grief; he reveals Jose was his secret boyfriend. (Outline, Chapter 17)
  12. Short Answer: Cael refuses to write to his deceased brother Cill, expressing his anger and resistance to therapy. (Outline, Chapter 7)
  13. B. Savannah meets Tala, a terminally ill girl, and decides to become a pediatric oncologist in Poppy's honor. (Outline, Chapter 23)
  14. B. The repaired plates symbolize that broken things can be made more beautiful through healing. (Outline, Chapter 25)
  15. B. The pink ribbon reinforces the theme that lost loved ones are still present. (Outline, Chapter 13)
  16. Short Answer: Cherry blossoms symbolize impermanence, the beauty of life, and Poppy's love for them. (Outline, Chapters 23, 26)
  17. B. The Wind Phone allows people to speak to the deceased, helping them find closure. (Outline, Chapter 28)
  18. B. Each ritual honors lost loved ones in a unique way, showing that culture provides healing. (Outline, Chapters 14, 17, 18, 28)
  19. Short Answer: Cael learns to see depression as a terminal illness, forgives Cillian, and lets true mourning begin. (Outline, Chapter 22)
  20. B. Savannah fights cancer in Poppy's honor, and Cael reclaims hockey in memory of Cillian. (Outline, Epilogue)

Want to explore deeper? See our book summary, questions and answers, and ending explained for more insights.