Quiz First-Time Caller B.K. Borison

First-Time Caller Quiz: 20 Questions About Radio Love and Second Chances

Quiz Questions

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

  1. Where does Chapter 1 open?

    • A. At the radio station during a broadcast
    • B. At an anti-Valentine's Day café
    • C. In Lucie's garage
    • D. On a rooftop overlooking Baltimore

  2. What is Maya's father's name? (short answer)

  3. Which chapter features Lucie's first in-person visit to the radio station?

    • A. Chapter 4
    • B. Chapter 7
    • C. Chapter 12
    • D. Chapter 15

  4. What happens during Lucie's date with Elliott?

    • A. They share a meaningful conversation about magic
    • B. Elliott reveals the date is a bet to embarrass Lucie
    • C. They decide to become friends
    • D. Elliott proposes to her

  5. Who takes over selecting Lucie's next date after the Elliott disaster?

    • A. Maggie
    • B. Jackson
    • C. Grayson
    • D. Maya

  6. Where does Aiden take Lucie after her blind date stands her up?

    • A. A fancy French restaurant
    • B. A bar with a one-song jukebox
    • C. The radio booth for an impromptu broadcast
    • D. His mother's house

  7. What does Aiden discover in his glove compartment after Lucie delivers his repaired Bronco?

    • A. A box of chocolates
    • B. A handwritten list of her favorite things
    • C. His gold key ring necklace
    • D. A Valentine's Day card

  8. How does Aiden finally confess his feelings to Lucie?

    • A. He sends her a long email
    • B. He calls the romance hotline as a first-time caller
    • C. He surprises her at her garage
    • D. He writes a song and plays it on air

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Why does Aiden become cynical about love? (short answer)

  2. What motivates Lucie to accept the radio show offer?

    • A. The promise of a large salary
    • B. Her daughter Maya's enthusiasm and hope for Lucie's happiness
    • C. Pressure from her coworkers at the garage
    • D. A desire to embarrass Aiden

  3. Why does Aiden push Lucie toward other men despite his own feelings?

    • A. He is secretly working for a rival station
    • B. He believes he is not good for her due to his emotional baggage
    • C. He wants to increase the show's ratings
    • D. He is still in love with an ex-girlfriend

  4. What is Grayson's role in Lucie's life? (short answer)

  5. What prompts Lucie to stop overthinking and embrace fun?

    • A. A pep talk from Patty
    • B. Flirty texts with Aiden about pineapple pizza
    • C. Maya's advice during a family dinner
    • D. A fortune cookie she opens

Theme and Symbol (4 questions)

  1. What does the pineapple pizza symbolize in Aiden and Lucie's relationship? (short answer)

  2. What is the significance of the foghorn at the café in Chapter 1?

    • A. It announces the arrival of a celebrity
    • B. It signals a third-time name call for a pickup
    • C. It marks the start of a new radio segment
    • D. It warns customers about bad weather

  3. How does the novel's use of radio transcripts contribute to its themes? (short answer)

  4. What does Aiden's gold key ring necklace represent?

    • A. His successful career
    • B. Hope and luck from his mother's cancer treatment
    • C. A promise ring from an old girlfriend
    • D. His father's wedding band

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. How does Aiden's conversation with his father about emotional distance parallel his journey with Lucie?

    • A. Both relationships require him to admit fear and choose vulnerability
    • B. He gives the same advice to both
    • C. His father encourages him to avoid Lucie
    • D. The conversations happen on the same day

  2. In what way does Maya's "tiers of her master plan" (Chapter 29) reflect the novel's theme of love? (short answer)

  3. How does the public nature of the radio show influence Aiden and Lucie's private romance? (short answer)

Answer Key

  1. B – Chapter 1 opens at an anti-Valentine's Day café where Aiden meets Jackson. (Outline: Chapter 1)
  2. Grayson – Maya's father is Grayson, Lucie's ex-husband and co-parent. (Outline: Chapter 15, 30, etc.)
  3. B – Chapter 7 (Chapter 13 in the outline) depicts Lucie's first visit to the station, where she meets Aiden in the lobby. (Outline: Chapter 13, "Chapter 7")
  4. B – Elliott's date is a bet to humiliate Lucie; he mocks her romantic ideals. (Outline: Chapter 27, "Chapter 14")
  5. C – Grayson announces he will choose Lucie's next date after confronting Aiden about the Elliott incident. (Outline: Chapter 27, "Chapter 14")
  6. B – Aiden takes Lucie to a bar with a one-song jukebox where they play Skee-Ball and dance. (Outline: Chapter 33, "Chapter 17")
  7. B – Aiden leaves a handwritten list of Lucie's favorite things in the glove compartment. (Outline: Chapter 61, "Chapter 31")
  8. B – Aiden calls the hotline as a first-time caller and asks Lucie about falling in love, confessing his feelings. (Outline: Chapter 63, "Chapter 32")
  9. Aiden's cynicism stems from his mother's cancer and his father's visible grief, which made him doubt love's permanence. (Outline: Chapter 33, "Chapter 17")
  10. B – Maya is thrilled about the show and hopes it will make Lucie happier, which pushes Lucie to accept. (Outline: Chapter 11, "Chapter 6")
  11. B – Aiden admits he is struggling with the temporary arrangement and tries to push Lucie toward Colin because he believes he's not good for her. (Outline: Chapter 57, "Chapter 29")
  12. Grayson is Lucie's ex-husband, co-parent of Maya, and her platonic best friend who supports her throughout the story. (Outline: multiple chapters)
  13. B – Lucie and Aiden exchange flirty texts about pineapple pizza, leading her to decide to stop overthinking magic. (Outline: Chapter 47, "Chapter 24")
  14. The pineapple pizza symbolizes Aiden's willingness to change for Lucie—he orders his least favorite topping because she likes it, showing openness and compromise. (Outline: Chapter 49, "Chapter 25")
  15. B – The foghorn is used by the café to call a customer's name a third time, as seen with "Brooks Robinson." (Outline: Chapter 1)
  16. The transcript format strips away narration, emphasizing raw dialogue, vulnerability, and the public-private divide, underscoring themes of authenticity and connection. (Outline: multiple transcript chapters, e.g., Chapters 2, 6, 12)
  17. B – The key ring was bought at a hospital gift shop during his mother's cancer treatment; he believes it brings good luck. (Outline: Chapter 51, "Chapter 26")
  18. A – In Chapter 30 (Chapter 59 outline), Aiden calls his father to confess he has been emotionally distant due to fear of loss; this mirrors his journey with Lucie where he must admit fear and choose vulnerability. (Outline: Chapter 59, "Chapter 30"; Chapter 63, "Chapter 32")
  19. Maya's tiers reveal that love can be planned yet still bring surprises; Tier 4 (falling in love) happens unexpectedly with Aiden, showing that love cannot be fully controlled but is worth the risk. (Outline: Chapter 57, "Chapter 29")
  20. The radio show creates a confessional space that forces Aiden and Lucie to address their feelings publicly, accelerates intimacy through on-air vulnerability, and provides communal support that ultimately solidifies their relationship. (Outline: Epilogue and multiple transcript scenes)

For deeper discussion, visit the full book page, questions and answers, and the ending explained.