Section 1 (pages 3-32)
1. This book recounts the author's years in:
Ghana.
2. This memoir covers the author's life during which time frame?
Mid 1960s.
3. A big part of the reason that Maya is in Africa during this time period is to what?
Better understand the continent of her ancestry.
4. Maya Angelou is a world-renowned:
Poet, writer, and performer.
5. What is Maya's son's name?
Guy.
6. Where is Maya's son studying?
University of Ghana.
7. What happens to Maya's son early in the story?
He is seriously hurt in a car accident.
8. At the start of the story, what is Maya's predominant feeling about what happens to her son?
Anger.
9. After living with a friend in Accra, Maya and her son move to the:
YWCA.
10. Who is Julian Mayfield?
Friend of Maya's.
11. Maya meets Efua Sutherland, who is head of what?
Ghana's National Theatre.
12. Following what happens to Maya's son, Efua Sutherland gives her permission to what?
Cry.
13. After Maya's visit with Efua Sutherland, she goes to the hospital and finds that:
Her son is in good spirits and doing well.
14. Once she realizes that her son is going to be all right after what happens to him unexpectedly, Maya starts to:
Take care of herself and make friends.
15. Professor J.H. Nketia, a friend of Efua Sutherland, ends up giving Maya what?
A Job.
16. At the university, Professor J.H. Nketia is the chairman of what?
Institute of African Studies.
17. What else does Professor J.H. Nketia help Maya with?
Finding a car.
18. After living at the YWCA, where does Maya move to temporarily?
Empty house of a professor on leave.
19. What does Maya's son do after his release from the hospital?
Moves in with Maya.
20. Who are the "Revolutionist Returnees?"
Americans seeking refuge in Africa.
21. How does Maya feel living in Africa?
Accepted and not discriminated against.
22. How do the people of Ghana feel about the migration of American blacks to their nation?
They are more concerned with their own troubles.
23. At the time of the events of this book, who is Kwame Nkrumah?
New president of Ghana.
24. Back at the YWCA, what does Maya convince the cook to bring to one of the women dining there?
Rice.
25. Where does Maya move to with her friends Alice and Vicki?
Three-bedroom bungalow.
26. Why did Maya's friend, Vicki, move to Africa from America?
To work with labor unions.
27. What job does Maya's friend, Vicki, get in Africa?
Typist in a foreign embassy.
28. Why does Alice, Maya's friend, decide to move to Ghana?
To work as a social worker.
29. What job does Alice, Maya's friend, find in Ghana?
Receptionist.
30. What major movement is happening in the United States while Maya lives in Africa?
Civil rights.
Section 2 (pages 32-58)
1. Why did Maya first go to the office of the Ghanaian Times?
To look for work.
2. Who was T.D. Kwesi Bafoo?
Editor of the Ghanaian Times.
3. What article is Maya asked to write when she looks for journalism work in Africa?
America Today.
4. When Maya first goes to the Ghana Broadcasting office, who does she want to talk with?
The person who hires writers.
5. How does the receptionist at the Ghana Broadcasting office treat Maya?
Rudely.
6. After being treated poorly by some in Ghana, Maya wonders what?
If it's because her ancestors were slaves.
7. Why does Maya invite a hairdresser to her home?
She wants her hair done in the fashion of Ghanaian women.
8. What does the hairdresser tease Maya about?
Having only one child.
9. Maya and her friends, Vicki and Alice, open up their home for whom?
Political discussion groups.
10. When Maya and her friends talk with a couple who have just arrived from the United States, what do they tell the couple?
Life in Ghana is hard.
11. After Maya's friends Alice and Vicki tell the Chicago stockyard worker and his wife about life in Ghana, what does the man do?
Threatens to leave.
12. After Maya explains to the Chicago stockyard worker and his wife that she and her friends are simply trying to prepare the couple for the
realities of life in Ghana, what does the couple decide?
To move to Guinea.
13. When Maya is invited into T.D. Bafoo's office, what does she expect will happen?
She will be fired.
14. In Ghana, Maya is invited to an "outdooring." What is an outdooring?
Baby naming ceremony.
15. How does Maya regard T.D. Bafoo and his wife?
With respect.
16. What promise do T.D. Bafoo and his wife make to Maya?
To help her discover a deeper part of Ghana.
17. How does Maya describe T.D. Bafoo and his wife as a couple?
Loving.
18. When Maya goes into the Senior Common Room during a break one morning, she hears a group of professors and others discussing
what?
Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.
19. In the Senior Common Room discussion Maya walks into, she hears an Englishman and a Yugoslav woman ridicule what?
The reaction of blacks to treatment received in America 300 years ago.
20. In the Senior Common Room discussion Maya walks into, she hears an Englishman and a Ghanaian speaking rudely about what?
Ghana's government.
21. After listening to the negative talk going on in the Senior Common Room discussion Maya walks into, how does she react?
Erupts in anger and accuses the group of being ignorant.
22. Following Maya's reaction to the Senior Common Room discussion, what does the steward do?
Reprimands her.
23. Maya's steward introduces her to Kojo. Who is Kojo?
Young boy looking for work.
24. What does Kojo say when Maya explains she has no funds?
He'll work for tips.
25. Who does Kojo remind Maya of?
Her brother Bailey.
26. Kojo tells Maya that he wants to go to school where?
Accra.
27. Maya decides to help Kojo with what?
Homework.
28. How does the author feel about discrimination?
She cannot accept it in any form.
29. Which of the following best describes Maya?
Passionate.
30. Which of the following is not a prominent theme in the book?
Frivolity.
Section 3 (pages 58-93)
1. Efua takes Maya to Aburi, a town near Accra, for what?
Thanksgiving feast.
2. In Aburi, Maya and her friend watch a parade where Maya especially enjoys what?
Beating drums.
3. At the celebration at Aburi, Maya is given a handkerchief which she uses to:
Wave in the air.
4. While watching dancers at the festival in Aburi, what does Maya notice?
She finds a large man across the room to be attractive.
5. While Maya is at the festival in Aburi, who comes to her table?
A man who is accompanying the gentleman Maya finds attractive.
6. What is Maya asked during the celebration in Aburi?
If she would have dinner with Sheikhali.
7. What language do Maya and Sheikhali prefer to converse in?
French.
8. As they share a meal at a local restaurant, Sheikhali tells Maya that he was a:
Cattle baron.
9. After their meal on their first date, Sheikhali takes Maya to a hotel to:
Dance.
10. What does Maya dislike about Sheikhali?
His attitude towards women.
11. What gift does Sheikhali send to Maya?
Refrigerator.
12. Not long after their first meeting, what does Sheikhali ask Maya?
To marry him.
13. What does Sheikhali want Maya to do for his children?
Teach them French and English.
14. Why does Maya refuse Sheikhali's offer?
He already has a wife.
15. One day, Kojo tells Maya that she has visitors waiting in the:
Yard.
16. When Maya invites her visitors into the living room, she finds that:
There are many people there.
17. Why has Kojo's family come from Akwapim to speak with Maya?
To thank her.
18. Maya learns that Kojo's family are middle class:
Farmers.
19. What does Kojo's family give Maya?
Fruits and vegetables.
20. As an American, how does Maya regard the African culture she is discovering?
It's foreign to her.
21. How were Americans regarded in Ghana after an assassination attempt on the Ghanaian president?
With suspicion.
22. What does Maya work on with Efua at the National Theatre?
Chinese play.
23. Who is Grace Nuamah?
Dance teacher.
24. To thank Maya for finding her misplaced pay envelope, what does Grace Nuamah do?
Treats Maya to lunch.
Section 4 (pages 93-128)
1. What does Maya do when Sheikhali is more than two hours late for a date?
Goes to a local hotel for dinner.
2. Who is Mamali?
Sheikhali's assistant.
3. Why does Sheikhali speak to Maya through Mamali?
To more accurately express his emotions.
4. What does Sheikhali say to Maya with regards to his tardiness?
She should not be upset.
5. What does Sheikhali say to Maya regarding her intelligence?
She is book smart.
6. Sheikhali says that by offering to marry Maya, he is:
Doing her a favor.
7. How does Maya respond to Sheikhali's final marriage request?
She refuses.
8. What is Dunkwa?
Small village Maya visits.
9. When Maya takes a trip into the bush and meets with a tribal leader, where does the man think Maya is from?
Liberia.
10. Why is Maya happy that a tribal leader mistook her national identity?
She likes being mistaken for a native African.
11. What are the names of the newlyweds Maya stays with while visiting a small African village?
Patience and Kwame.
12. How is Maya treated when she visits a small African village?
She is welcomed warmly and shown much hospitality.
13. Who is Nana Nketsia?
Adviser to the president.
14. Why does Nana Nketsia go to Maya's house?
To escort her to his home.
15. What does Nana Nketsia ask of Maya?
If she would like another job with twice the pay.
16. How does Maya react to Nana Nketsia's request?
She's excited.
17. How does Maya correct one of Nana Nketsia's daughters?
She asks the girl to refer to her by her last name, not her first.
18. As Maya sets out to prepare for her job interview for a position at a diamond mine, what does she realize?
She may not be qualified because her education stopped at high school.
19. Who helped Julian Mayfield eat sausages he received from America?
Maya and her roommates.
20. What did the Revolutionist Returnees plan in conjunction with Martin Luther King's march in Washington DC?
Their own march to the American Embassy.
21. What is the time difference between Washington DC and Ghana?
Seven hours.
22. Who joins the event organized by the Revolutionist Returnees in Ghana to be held during Martin Luther King's march in Washington DC?
Farmers, teachers, volunteers, college students, and vacationers.
23. How long does the event organized by the Revolutionist Returnees to support MLK's march take place?
All night and through the morning and early afternoon.
24. How does Maya feel after helping to deliver a written protest to the first secretary of the embassy?
Exhausted.
Section 5 (pages 128-146)
1. Who is Malcolm X?
Civil Rights leader.
2. Who listens to Malcolm X when he visits Accra while Maya lives there?
Americans.
3. When Malcolm X goes to talk in Accra, he has just completed a pilgrimage to where?
Mecca.
4. When Malcolm X speaks in Accra, what does he say has changed in his attitude towards whites?
He now has some white friends.
5. In Accra, Malcolm X speaks of his falling out with:
Elijah Muhammad.
6. What does Malcolm X say when asked why he came to Ghana?
To gather support from governments.
7. Why does Malcolm X plan to go before the General Assembly of the United Nations?
To present his case for black Americans.
8. Maya and her group of American friends arrange for Malcolm X to meet with:
High officials within Ghana's government.
9. Why does Malcolm X refuse to dance during a party in his honor given by the Ghana Press Club?
He cannot celebrate when fellow African-Americans are suffering.
10. How does Malcolm X respond when a university student asks how he can represent blacks when his skin is so light?
Laughs and says that he lives and fights as a black man.
11. Why does Maya feel angry towards Shirley Graham Du Bois?
Shirley had refused Maya's attempts to arrange a meeting between her and Malcolm.
12. Maya Angelou accompanies Malcolm X to the airport after his meeting with:
Ghana's president.
13. In addition to Maya and her friends, who else shows up to take Malcolm X to the airport?
Ambassadors from several countries, including China and Cuba.
14. What public figure is leaving the hotel in Accra at the same time that Malcolm X is leaving?
Muhammad Ali.
15. Why does Malcolm X approach the public figure who is leaving the hotel in Accra at the same time he is?
To express his admiration.
16. The public figure who leaves the Accra hotel at the same time as Malcolm X ends up:
Chastising him.
17. How does Malcolm X feel after his encounter with the public figure outside their hotel?
Sad.
18. In Ghana, who does Malcolm X ride with to the airport?
Maya Angelou and Julian Mayfield.
19. What does Malcolm X say when he notices that Maya is upset?
Asks why she's upset.
20. After Maya tells Malcolm X why she is upset, how does he reply?
He chastises her.
21. After Malcolm is whisked away at the airport, how do Maya and her friends feel?
Deflated.
22. By meeting and getting to know Malcolm X, Maya finds her own opinions:
Being tested.
23. The chapter that deals with Malcolm X underlines what prominent theme in the book?
Racism.
24. The chapter with Malcolm X sheds tremendous light on Maya's perspectives regarding:
The Civil Rights Movement.
Section 6 (pages 147-184)
1. After living in Ghana for a time, why does Maya feel she needs to take a vacation away from this nation?
To clear her head.
2. Maya is concerned about her son because she hears that his girlfriend is:
Older than he is.
3. When Maya confronts her son about his girlfriend, what does he say?
He's a man and can make his own decisions.
4. What does Guy do when Maya becomes angry and tries to assert her maternal authority?
He walks away.
5. After Maya's disagreement with Guy regarding his girlfriend, she realizes that she must:
Give him space.
6. What offer does Maya receive that would take her to Germany and Venice?
To take part in a play.
7. Who are some of the actors Maya works with in Europe?
All of them.
8. "The Blacks" is the name of a:
Play Maya is in.
9. Maya is approached by a German man and his wife. They invite her to:
Dinner.
10. Maya cannot accept the invitation by the German man and his wife, but instead suggests what?
They have breakfast together.
11. When the German couple tells Maya she can bring whomever she wants as a guest, who does Maya choose?
A black Jew she sees sitting at the bar.
12. Who is Torvash, whom Maya meets in Germany?
Israeli actor on tour.
13. When Maya brings her guest with her to the home of the German couple, how does the host react?
Somewhat surprised.
14. When Maya and Torvash find themselves alone at Dieter's house, what does Torvash say about their host?
He's probably a Nazi.
15. At Dieter's house, everyone is embarrassed when Dieter's mother starts to:
Flirt with Torvash.
16. Why does Maya suggest that everyone tell a story at Dieter's house?
So everyone could get to know each other better.
17. What story does Maya share at Dieter's house?
Brer Rabbit.
18. When it is Torvash's turn to tell a story, he talks about a German officer who had a:
Glass eye.
19. Why is Dieter upset after Torvash tells his story?
He has a glass eye.
20. When it's Dieter's turn to share a story with Maya and her guest, he tells a somewhat vulgar story about:
Friends and enemies.
21. When Dieter asks Maya to buy artwork for him in Ghana, she:
Refuses.
22. After finishing up in Venice, Maya moves on to:
Egypt.
23. When friends ask Maya to sing for the visiting Liberian president, how does she react?
Reluctantly agrees.
24. Upon his request, what does Maya sing to the Liberian president?
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
Section 7 (pages 184-208)
1. When Maya returns to Ghana following her time away in other countries, who picks her up at the airport?
Her son Guy.
2. What meal awaits Maya upon her return to Ghana?
Homemade chicken dinner.
3. Upon her return to Ghana, what does Maya realize about her son?
Her little boy has grown up.
4. Why does Efua tell Maya Africa is falling apart?
Nobody came to claim a boy who had died.
5. When Efua and others read in the evening paper that a dead boy's family has finally come forward to take his body, how do they feel?
Relieved.
6. Who is Comfort, Maya's acquaintance?
Her hairdresser.
7. What happens to Comfort?
She falls ill.
8. What does Comfort blame her misfortune upon?
A curse.
9. What indiscretion has Comfort committed?
Having an affair with a married man.
10. Who is angry at Comfort?
The wife of the man she's having an affair with.
11. Why does Comfort go to Sierra Leone?
To find a cure.
12. What happens to Comfort in the end?
She dies from her illness.
13. Why does Maya decide to go back to the United States?
To work on the Civil Rights Movement.
14. Before returning to the United States, who does Maya take a trip with?
Nana and two of his daughters.
15. Where does Maya end up on her trip in Africa prior to returning to America?
Small village named Keta.
16. Why does a bridge that Maya and her fellow travelers come upon frighten her?
At first she doesn't know, but later she learns such bridges used to be unstable.
17. In the market of the place where Maya visits prior to her return to the United States, how does her appearance make others react?
They seem agitated.
18. At the market where Maya visits prior to her trip back to America, several women tell her that:
She reminds them of their ancestors.
19. What do the people of the market in the place Maya visits near the end of the book give her?
Fruits and vegetables.
20. Right before leaving for America, Maya believes she has found:
Where her ancestors came from.
21. After her important discovery near the end of the book, how much longer does Maya stay in Ghana?
A few days.
22. Among those who come to say farewell to Maya as she boards a plane headed back home are:
All of them.
23. As Maya leaves Ghana, she is at peace knowing that she has:
Left a piece of herself there.
24. In Africa, does Maya find what she's looking for?
In the end, yes.