Yonnondio: From the Thirties Study Guide

1. What wakes Mazie up every morning?

• Her dog
• An alarm clock
• Her mother's voice
• The mine whistle

2. How old is Mazie at the beginning of the book?

• Six
• Five
• Eight
• Seven

3. If the mine whistle sounds in the middle of the day, what does it mean?

• A celebration or holiday
• The death of a mine worker
• The arrival of the mine owner
• A lunch break

4. What does Mazie fear the coal of the mine will do to her?

• Give her coal poisoning
• Make her black inside
• Turn her into a black person
• Make her a mine worker

5. Why does Sheen McEvoy want to sacrifice Mazie to the mine?

• He would rather see Mazie die than another man
• He thinks the mine, like all women, wants a child
• He thinks she will fly out of the mine with his face
• He resents Jim Holbrook

6. How is Mazie saved?

• She screams and the men in the saloon come to her rescue
• The night watchman attacks McEvoy with a pickax
• Her father shoots McEvoy with a pistol
• She kicks him unexpectedly and manages to escape

7. What does Jim suggest after the attack on Mazie?

• That he attacks McEvoy's family
• That the other children be locked up in the house
• That Mazie be sent to live with her grandparents to recover
• That the family moves east to the farmlands

8. While Anna and Jim are discussing his suggestion, what does Mazie do?

• Beats up her younger brother Will
• Faints
• Runs away
• Laughs demonically

9. When the whistle goes off in the middle of the day, what has happened?

• One of the workers has attacked and killed his supervisor
• A terrible accident; many of the workers have been buried alive
• The mine boss has just declared a worker's holiday
• The mine boss has a layoff announcement

10. How long does Jim disappear after the incident?

• Less than 24 hours
• Two months
• Five days
• Fifteen days