Lost Birds: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel Quiz

Use this companion quiz to deepen your understanding of Lost Birds after reading the novel. Each question is based on specific events, character arcs, and themes from the story. Check your answers with the key below.

Part 1: Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)

These questions test your recall of key events and their order. Choose the best answer.

1. What event interrupts Cecil Bowlegs' phone call to Joe Leaphorn?
A. A car crash
B. An explosion
C. A gunshot
D. A power outage

2. Which school building is destroyed by the explosion?
A. Eagle Roost School
B. Shiprock High
C. Window Rock Elementary
D. Diné College

3. What does Bernie Manuelito find in the school garage after the explosion?
A. A stash of stolen rugs
B. A dead sheep
C. A car with a dead woman inside
D. A bomb device

4. Who does Bethany Bowlegs lend her car to before disappearing?
A. Her sister Olivia
B. Her friend Nadia
C. Principal Morgan
D. RP Benally

5. According to the final investigation, what caused the school explosion?
A. A bomb planted by Cecil
B. A faulty gas line
C. An intentional arson
D. A boiler malfunction

6. Where does Cecil Bowlegs hide immediately after the explosion?
A. In his home
B. In an arroyo
C. In the school basement
D. At a friend's house

7. What does Leaphorn discover about Stella Brown's birth certificate?
A. It is missing
B. It is forged
C. It lists the wrong parents
D. It is a photocopy

8. Who is arrested for the murder of Olivia Benally?
A. Cecil Bowlegs
B. Big Rex
C. Principal Morgan
D. RP Benally

Part 2: Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

These questions explore why characters act the way they do. Answer in a sentence or choose the correct option.

9. Why does Cecil Bowlegs initially hide from the police after the explosion?
A. He committed the crime
B. He fears debt collectors connected to his gambling
C. He wants to find Beth first
D. He thinks he is wanted for another offense

10. What motivates Kory to visit his mother Louisa after a five-year absence?
A. He wants money
B. He has terminal cancer
C. He needs a place to stay
D. He wants to apologize for past arguments

11. Why does Leaphorn agree to take on Stella Brown's adoption search? (short answer)
Expected key point: He feels compelled to help a “lost bird”—a Navajo child adopted outside the culture—and he values the search for identity.

12. What leads Principal Morgan to kill Olivia Benally?
A. Revenge
B. Mistaken identity – he thought she was Bethany
C. Gambling debt
D. Car theft

13. Why does Darleen Manuelito relapse into drinking?
A. She fails a class
B. She is overwhelmed by caregiving for her mother and nursing school
C. Her boyfriend leaves her
D. She misses her mother

Part 3: Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)

Identify the theme or symbolic meaning of key elements. Choose the best answer.

14. What does the Two Grey Hills rug found in Bethany's car symbolize?
A. Navajo weaving tradition and cultural identity
B. Evidence of theft
C. Hidden family secret
D. A clue to the adoption

15. The term “lost birds” in the novel refers to:
A. Navajo children adopted outside the culture
B. Missing Indigenous women
C. Stray pets
D. Students who drop out

16. Which theme is central to Stella Brown's storyline?
A. Police corruption
B. Adoption and identity
C. Environmental conservation
D. School safety

17. What does the Elephant Feet butte photograph represent to Stella Brown? (short answer)
Expected key point: It provides a visual clue that leads her to her biological family—the Singer family.

Part 4: Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

These questions ask you to connect ideas across the novel. Answer in one or two sentences.

18. How does Leaphorn's decision to accept a consultant role on a Navajo police movie reflect his character arc?
Expected key point: It shows he is ready to step back from active detective work and embrace a new, less physically demanding path as he recognizes his age.

19. Compare the resolution of Stella Brown's adoption mystery with the resolution of Bethany Bowlegs' disappearance. What theme do both storylines emphasize?
Expected key point: Both reveal the power of hidden family secrets and the need for truth and reconciliation.

20. Which character experiences simultaneous personal crises of caregiving for an elderly parent, career frustration, and grief over a miscarriage?
A. Louisa
B. Bernadette Manuelito
C. Darleen
D. Janey Singer

Answer Key

1. B (Chapter 1: The phone call ends with an explosion.)
2. A (Chapter 1: Cecil says he works at Eagle Roost School, and the explosion occurs there.)
3. C (Chapter 12: Bernie opens the garage door and finds a Hyundai with a dead Navajo woman inside.)
4. A (Chapter 28: Cecil reveals Beth lent her car to her sister Olivia, who then disappeared.)
5. B (Chapter 31: A faulty gas line is identified as the cause; Charles Morgan’s construction flaws compounded it.)
6. B (Chapter 5: Cecil hides in an arroyo after the explosion and survives with minor injuries.)
7. B (Chapter 8: Royce Will observes that the adoption occurred too quickly and the form lacks standard features, suggesting forgery.)
8. C (Chapter 30: Principal Morgan is arrested for killing Olivia Benally, mistaking her for Bethany.)
9. B (Chapter 5: Cecil recalls gambling debts and threats from a debt collector; he fears being found.)
10. B (Chapter 6: Kory tells Louisa he has terminal cancer and wants to control his own death.)
11. Leaphorn takes the case because he is moved by Stella’s situation as a “lost bird”—a Navajo child adopted outside her culture—and because he believes in the importance of identity and family connection.
12. B (Chapter 30: Morgan killed Olivia believing she was Bethany Bowlegs, whose car she was driving.)
13. B (Chapter 19: Darleen is overwhelmed by caring for their mother while also attending nursing school; Chee finds her with beer cans.)
14. A (Chapter 14: The traditional rug symbolizes Navajo weaving heritage and is linked to Bethany’s family.)
15. A (Chapter 16: Leaphorn explains the term to Janey Singer: Navajo children adopted outside the Diné world who grow up without knowledge of their roots.)
16. B (Stella’s entire arc revolves around finding her biological Navajo family and understanding her adoption.)
17. The photograph helps Stella identify the location where she was taken as a baby and eventually leads Leaphorn to the Singer family and John Hawkman.
18. Leaphorn decides to take the consultant job because he realizes his age limits his ability to handle physically demanding detective work, but he still wants to stay involved in law enforcement.
19. Both storylines reveal that hidden family connections and secrets shape people’s lives. Stella discovers her birth parents were Singers; Bethany’s secret trip to her sister was meant to retrieve a rug and pay a debt.
20. B (Bernadette Manuelito struggles with her mother’s health, her sister's relapse, her own grief over a miscarriage, and frustration with her career—all described in chapters 3, 7, 19, and 23.)

For a deeper dive, read the book summary, browse reader questions, or explore the ending explained.