Amity Quiz: Twenty Questions on Nathan Harris’s Novel

Quiz

Answer all 20 questions below. Most are multiple-choice; a few require a short written response.

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)

In 1866 New Orleans, what errand does Mrs. Harper send Coleman on?
- A) To buy a new dress for Florence
- B) To fetch shoes and bring Florence home
- C) To deliver a letter to Mr. Harper
- D) To purchase food for the household
What object does Amos Turlow show Coleman on the steamer Jubilee that reveals Mr. Harper’s true plan?
- A) A map of Mexico
- B) A letter from Mr. Harper
- C) A photograph of June
- D) A bag of silver coins
During the talent show on the Jubilee, what disaster is announced?
- A) A storm is approaching
- B) The ship has run aground
- C) A fire in the boiler room
- D) A mutiny among the crew
How does Coleman escape the sinking ship?
- A) He swims to a lifeboat
- B) Turlow forces him to jump into the sea after setting a horse on fire
- C) He rows away in a stolen dinghy
- D) He is rescued by a passing Mexican vessel
In Bagdad, Mexico, Florence and Coleman hatch a plan to escape Turlow. What trick do they use?
- A) Florence bribes a guard
- B) Florence fakes an assault by Coleman to lure Cyrus Turlow
- C) They dig a tunnel under the room
- D) Coleman pretends to be a Mexican official
Who is William Free, and what role does he take on?
- A) A Mexican soldier who arrests them
- B) A scout and guide who agrees to take them north to Nacimiento
- C) A priest who offers them shelter
- D) A former slave who owns a ranch
After the wagon crash, who kills Amos Turlow?
- A) Florence
- B) Coleman
- C) William Free
- D) General Chavez
Where does Coleman finally reunite with June?
- A) In the Birdcage garrison
- B) At the silver mine
- C) In the settlement of Amity
- D) On the road to Drakesville

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

Why does June agree to go to Mexico with Wyatt Harper, leaving Coleman behind?
- A) She believes Wyatt will give her wealth
- B) She hopes to find Isaac
- C) Wyatt threatened to harm Coleman if she didn’t leave
- D) She wanted adventure
What motivates Amos Turlow to force Coleman to jump into the sea during the ship fire?
- A) He wants to save Coleman’s life
- B) He needs Coleman alive to complete his mission for Mr. Harper
- C) He hopes to drown Coleman
- D) He is following the captain’s orders
Why does Florence press her hand into a cactus during the desert journey?
- A) To test her survival skills
- B) To externalize her emotional pain over her mother’s death and her father’s rejection
- C) To prove her toughness to Coleman
- D) To create a distraction so she can escape
What drives General Chavez to request a private meeting with Coleman?
- A) He wants to hire Coleman as a translator
- B) He is curious about Coleman’s dog-training skills
- C) He wants to learn Coleman’s story and understand his perspective on war
- D) He plans to execute Coleman
Why does Isaac dream of moving to Drakesville, as he confides to June?
- A) He wants to be near his brother’s land and live in peace, away from conflict
- B) He hopes to find gold there
- C) He is fleeing from the law
- D) He wants to join the Juaristas

Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)

The Rose of Jericho (resurrection plant) appears in June’s sections. What does it symbolize?
- A) Wealth and prosperity
- B) Rebirth, hope, and the ability to flourish after hardship
- C) The fragility of life
- D) The desert landscape
Coleman’s fear of water is rooted in a traumatic memory. What caused this phobia?
- A) He nearly drowned as a child
- B) Mr. Harper humiliated him by forcing him into water
- C) He witnessed a drowning at sea
- D) His mother died in a flood
The novel explores the tension between freedom and security. Which character most clearly embodies the choice to stay in a familiar but oppressive situation rather than risk the unknown?
- A) June
- B) Isaac
- C) Coleman
- D) Florence
In the epilogue, what does Coleman hope to achieve by reading his written account to June?
- A) To entertain her with adventure stories
- B) To free himself from trauma and encourage June to share her story
- C) To prove he is literate
- D) To convince her to return to New Orleans

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

Compare the journeys of Coleman and June. Which statement best captures a key difference?
- A) Both journey to Mexico seeking treasure
- B) June actively escapes captivity, while Coleman is initially driven by duty and fear
- C) Coleman travels alone, while June is accompanied by Isaac
- D) Both characters never leave the United States
How does the character of William Free challenge stereotypes about Native Americans in the novel?
- A) He refuses to work with white men
- B) He is a skilled interpreter and guide who defends his Tonkawa heritage against racist rumors
- C) He is portrayed as a violent warrior
- D) He lives in isolation and rejects all alliances
In what way does the epilogue suggest that storytelling is a form of healing?
- A) Coleman writes a book that becomes a bestseller
- B) Coleman completes his account and asks June to listen, hoping the act of sharing will help both of them process trauma
- C) Florence publishes letters about her mother
- D) Isaac writes a memoir about Amity

Answer Key

Q	Answer	Explanation
1	B	Mrs. Harper sends Coleman to fetch shoes and bring Florence home (Chapter 1).
2	B	Turlow shows Coleman Mr. Harper’s letter revealing the journey is actually a scheme to recapture June (Chapter 2).
3	C	Turlow reveals a fire in the boiler room; the ship may sink (Chapter 3).
4	B	Turlow sets a horse on fire to clear a path and forces Coleman to jump into the sea (Chapter 4).
5	B	Florence fakes an assault by Coleman to lure Cyrus Turlow, then attacks him (Chapter 5).
6	B	William Free is a scout who agrees to guide them north to Nacimiento (Chapter 6).
7	C	After the crash, William arrives and kills Amos Turlow (Chapter 12).
8	C	Coleman reaches the free Black settlement of Amity and reunites with June (Chapter 13).
9	C	June’s flashback shows that Mr. Harper threatened to harm Coleman if she left, so she went alone to protect him (Chapter 16).
10	B	Turlow needs Coleman alive to complete Mr. Harper’s plan; he forces him to jump to survive the fire (Chapter 4).
11	B	Florence deliberately presses her hand on a cactus to externalize her emotional pain over her mother’s death and her father’s rejection (Chapter 10).
12	C	General Chavez interrogates Coleman about war and resistance; he is interested in Coleman’s perspective (Chapter 9).
13	A	Isaac tells June about Drakesville as a peaceful place with land, away from conflict, where he wants to start a new life (Chapter 16 evidence).
14	B	The Rose of Jericho symbolizes rebirth, hope, and flourishing after hardship, appearing in June’s narrative (Chapter 10).
15	B	Mr. Harper humiliated Coleman in the stables, causing his phobia of water (Chapter 7).
16	C	Coleman stayed with the Harpers out of fear, even after being freed, choosing security over the unknown (Chapter 1).
17	B	In the epilogue, Coleman hopes sharing his written story will free him from trauma and encourage June to share hers (Chapter 19 evidence).
18	B	June actively escapes captivity; Coleman is initially driven by duty to the Harpers and fear of leaving (throughout novel).
19	B	William Free defends his Tonkawa heritage against racist rumors and serves as a skilled interpreter (Chapter 7).
20	B	Coleman asks June to listen as he reads his account, believing the act of sharing will help both heal from trauma (Chapter 19).