Greta & Valdin Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, and Themes
Greta & Valdin Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, and Themes
This quiz covers the full arc of Rebecca K. Reilly's Greta & Valdin, from the Vladisavljevic family's chaotic daily life to Valdin's reunion with Xabi and the wedding that brings everyone together. Questions are grouped by type, mixing multiple-choice and short-answer formats. The complete answer key with explanations follows the quiz.
Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)
1. (Multiple choice) In Chapter 1, Valdin returns to his apartment to find a delivery notice. What does he retrieve from the depot?
- A) A returned book from his ex-boyfriend Xabi
- B) A book titled Dead Sea Fungi addressed to his father
- C) A postcard from his grandfather in Vienna
- D) A package of groceries from his mother
2. (Multiple choice) What happens to Greta on her Tinder date in Wellington (Chapter 4)?
- A) She meets the woman and they go to a play
- B) The woman arrives late and they argue
- C) She is stood up and gets lost walking down the hill
- D) She cancels the date to visit her brother
3. (Short answer) In Chapter 11, Thony reveals a major family secret to Valdin. What is it?
4. (Multiple choice) What triggers Valdin's decision to call Xabi in Chapter 23?
- A) He receives a letter from Xabi
- B) He learns he must travel to Buenos Aires for work
- C) Greta forces him to call
- D) He sees Xabi on television
5. (Multiple choice) During his visit to Xabi in Argentina (Chapter 27), what major news does Xabi share with Valdin in Chapter 29?
- A) He is moving back to Spain
- B) He is adopting a child from Colombia
- C) He has a new partner
- D) He is ill and needs surgery
6. (Short answer) In Chapter 42, Valdin tells Greta he plans to propose to Xabi. What is his stated reason for wanting to marry?
7. (Multiple choice) What does Greta discover about her parents' plans while eavesdropping at the wedding (Chapter 52)?
- A) They are planning to move to Wellington
- B) They are hiding bad news about Valdin
- C) They are planning a trip to Broome
- D) They are separating
8. (Multiple choice) What happens to Ell and Holly after the confrontation in the photocopying room (Chapter 38)?
- A) Ell breaks up with Greta
- B) Holly apologizes to Greta
- C) Ell hits Holly with a can of oven cleaner
- D) Greta and Holly reconcile
Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)
9. (Multiple choice) Why does Valdin avoid walking past the physics department in Chapter 3?
- A) He is late for a meeting
- B) He is avoiding former colleagues from his old career
- C) He owes someone money
- D) He is looking for his father
10. (Short answer) In Chapter 2, Greta is secretly in love with Holly. What does Holly tell Greta that crushes her hopes?
11. (Multiple choice) Why does Linsh invite Valdin to dinner in Chapter 3?
- A) To discuss the misdelivered book
- B) Because he is lonely while his wife is away
- C) To ask about Greta's love life
- D) To talk about Valdin's TV show
12. (Multiple choice) What motivates Xabi to adopt Ernesto, according to the events in Chapters 29 and 35?
- A) He wants to prove he is responsible
- B) He has been supporting the boy financially for a year
- C) He wants to give Valdin a family
- D) He is pressured by his brother Gep
13. (Short answer) In Chapter 32, Greta bakes a banana cake and cleans the apartment. What is she hoping will happen?
Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)
14. (Multiple choice) The misdelivered book in Chapters 1 and 3 functions as a symbol of what?
- A) The importance of education
- B) An unwanted past that is not meant for the recipient
- C) The family's love of reading
- D) A bureaucratic error
15. (Multiple choice) In Chapter 4, the hill Greta walks down in Wellington can best be interpreted as a metaphor for what?
- A) The difficulty of urban life
- B) Her descent into heartbreak and vulnerability
- C) The climb toward career success
- D) The distance between siblings
16. (Short answer) In Chapters 7 and 22, the narrator muses about plants and what kind of plant they would be. What do the plants in the apartment represent?
17. (Multiple choice) In Chapter 49, Ell tells Greta the story of her prize-winning marrow that was stolen. What does the marrow represent?
- A) Her childhood home
- B) Her love for Greta
- C) Her career ambitions
- D) Her lost innocence
Synthesis (Questions 18–20)
18. (Short answer) Throughout the novel, the Vladisavljevic family keeps significant secrets (the refugee past, Casper's visit to Sochi, Giuseppe's infidelity). What does the novel suggest about the role of secrets in family life?
19. (Multiple choice) Valdin and Greta both struggle with romantic relationships, but their approaches differ. Which statement best summarizes this contrast?
- A) Greta is avoidant; Valdin is impulsive
- B) Valdin is avoidant and slow to act; Greta is more direct but often self-doubting
- C) Both are equally impulsive
- D) Greta is more confident than Valdin
20. (Short answer) The novel ends with a wedding that brings the extended family together. What does this final gathering suggest about the family's future?
Answer Key
1. B) The package is a book titled Dead Sea Fungi with a note thanking Prof. Vladisavljevic for a lecture. Valdin realizes it is for his father, who shares his name. (Chapter 1)
2. C) Greta waits over an hour, but the woman never arrives. With buses stopped, she walks down the hill and gets lost in a park, eventually messaging her ex Matthew for help. (Chapter 4)
3. Thony reveals that the family fled the Soviet Union as refugees. Their father Vlad staged a sham tour, and they claimed refugee status in New Zealand on the grounds of religious persecution as Jews. (Chapter 11)
4. B) Valdin learns he must travel to Buenos Aires for a work filming project. This prompts him to call Xabi, whom he is still in love with. (Chapters 22–23)
5. B) Xabi reveals he is adopting an eight-year-old boy from Colombia, a process that has taken about a year. (Chapter 29)
6. Valdin says he needs to marry for bureaucratic reasons: he wants to form a family with Xabi and Xabi's adopted child, Nes, and hopes to adopt Nes so they can live together. (Chapter 42)
7. C) Greta overhears her parents discussing a flight, a hotel, and a suggestion to visit Broome's beaches, revealing their plans for a trip. (Chapter 52)
8. C) Ell confesses to Greta that she struck Holly over the head with a can of oven cleaner after Holly said Greta didn't really love Ell. (Chapter 40)
9. B) Valdin takes a route that avoids former physics colleagues, reflecting his avoidance of his old career and past breakdown. (Chapter 3)
10. Holly tells Greta about her new girlfriend, Sonja, a mental health nurse she met on Tinder. (Chapter 2)
11. B) Linsh admits he is lonely while his wife is away and invites Valdin to dinner. (Chapter 3)
12. B) Xabi has been supporting Ernesto financially for a year and has completed the adoption paperwork, motivated by a desire to give the boy a home. (Chapters 29, 35)
13. Greta is hoping Valdin will return home, which she believes will reset her mood after weeks of anxiety about her post-master's future. (Chapter 32)
14. B) The book that isn't for Valdin represents an unwanted past or a message meant for someone else, echoing Valdin's feelings about his own history. (Chapter 3)
15. B) The hill represents Greta's emotional descent after being stood up, leading to vulnerability and a moment of rescue. (Chapter 4)
16. The plants represent personal growth, taking over negative space, and the narrator's desire for change and connection. (Chapters 7, 22)
17. B) Ell uses the stolen marrow as a metaphor for her feelings, telling Greta, "I have you. You're the marrow." (Chapter 49)
18. The novel suggests that secrets can protect family members but also create distance and misunderstanding. Revealing secrets—like the refugee past or Casper's visit to Sochi—leads to reconciliation and deeper trust, while hidden ones (like Giuseppe's infidelity) cause pain. (Chapters 11, 41, 48, 51)
19. B) Valdin is avoidant, needing three days to make a phone call and years to confront his feelings for Xabi. Greta is more direct in pursuing relationships but struggles with self-doubt and financial insecurity. (Chapters 23, 32, 38)
20. The wedding suggests a future of reconciliation and openness. Valdin and Xabi commit to forming a family, Greta and Ell plan a summer together, and family secrets are aired and forgiven, pointing toward a more honest and connected family life. (Chapters 45–52)
Further Study
- Book Overview
- Questions and Answers
- Ending Explained