Name:___________________________________________________

Study Questions: Chapters 1-5

1. Where does Matilda live? ___________________________________________________________________________
2. What business does Matildas family own? _____________________________________________________________
3. Who is Silas? _____________________________________________________________________________________
4. What historical event sparked an increase in Matildas family business?______________________________________
5. What happened to Matildas father?__________________________________________________________________
6. Who is King George?_______________________________________________________________________________
7. Eliza is a black woman living freely. Explain how she is treated in society and how she was able to earn her freedom.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What future does Matilda dream of for herself?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Why doesnt Polly show up for work?__________________________________________________________________
10. Describe the atmosphere of Matildas family business in the afternoon.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What rumor is circulating through the city?____________________________________________________________
12. Why is Matildas mother thinking of sending her to live with a family friend in the country?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. How does Matildas mother feel about the boy Matilda has a crush on?_____________________________________
14. Aside from telling the time, why do the church bells ring?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. How is the community dealing with the many deaths that have been occurring?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Study Questions #2: Chapters 6-10

1. Matildas family earns extra profits from the coffeehouse in August, but no one can agree on how to spend it. Discuss
the opinions of all three family members on how the money should be spent.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Matildas grandfather refuses to believe that the deaths are related to yellow fever. Who does he blame for the weird
sickness circulating through the city? ___________________________________________________________________
3. Matildas mother and grandfather have different views regarding the spread of a fever. What does Matildas mother
want to do? What does her grandfather want to do?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What grand idea does Matilda have to get more business at the coffeehouse?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Why is Matildas mother so eager to have tea with Mrs. Ogilvie?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. How do the Ogilvie daughters regard Matilda? __________________________________________________________
7. Describe how the lower, middle, and upper-class people in Philadelphia are effected by the fever.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Matilda starts to think that maybe going to live on a farm in the country wouldnt be that bad after all. What prompts
her to change her mind?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What do Matilda and her grandfather encounter on their walk home from the printer?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What symptoms of illness does Matildas mother have?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Why does Matildas mother yell at her to leave?_______________________________________________________

12. Once the doctor diagnosis Matildas mother with yellow fever, what method of treatment does he try?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Matildas grandfather has finally decided it is time to flee the city to get away from the spread of yellow fever. Why
cant Matildas mother travel with them?________________________________________________________________
14. What package does Matilda receive? ________________________________________________________________
15. How is Matildas grandfather dressed when they leave the city? __________________________________________

Study Questions: Chapters 11-16

1. As Matilda and her grandfather are traveling to the country with the farmer and his family, they come across four
men on horseback. Initially, who do they think these men are? _______________________________________________
2. How do Matilda and her grandfather end up stranded?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What trick does Matilda use to find water for her and her grandfather?______________________________________
4. Why does Matildas grandfather call himself a fool? _____________________________________________________
5. While stranded on the side of the road Matildas grandfather says, We must form our battle plans, both for this
skirmish and for the rest of the war. What does he mean by this?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What does Matilda use to try to catch fish? ____________________________________________________________
7. After gathering fresh pears, Matilda heads back to feed and care for her grandfather. What happens on the way back?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Who is Mrs. Flagg?_________________________________________________________________________________
9. What is Bush Hill? _________________________________________________________________________________
10. Why is Matilda terrified to be at Bush Hill?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What does Matildas grandfather do while she is recovering at Bush Hill?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. The clerk at Bush Hill discharges Matilda since she is once again healthy. Where does he want to send her?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. What do the workers at Bush Hill want Matilda to do once she is discharged?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Describe Philadelphia when Matilda and her grandfather return.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Where does Matilda think her mother is? _____________________________________________________________

Study Questions: Chapters 17-21

1. What do Matilda and her grandfather discover when they enter the coffeehouse for the first time?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is Matilda relieved to find hidden under a stair? ____________________________________________________
3. How often does Matilda usually bathe? ________________________________________________________________
4. How does Matildas grandfather feel about leaving the house to find food?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What does Matilda plan to do at the end of each day?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. How does Matilda help her grandfather the night they are being robbed?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. What are Matildas grandfathers last words? ___________________________________________________________
8. Why is it fitting that Matildas grandfather be buried in his nightshirt?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What item does Matilda bury with her grandfather? _____________________________________________________
10. How does Matilda get the men to allow a prayer to be said before burying her grandfather?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What does Matilda find when she goes to the market for food?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Why does Matilda go to the newspaper printer?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Who is Nell? ____________________________________________________________________________________
14. Why is Matilda searching for Reverend Allens group?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Who does Matilda reunite with? ____________________________________________________________________

Study Questions Chapters 22-25

1. What was Elizas first question for Matilda?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Who is Joseph? ___________________________________________________________________________________

3. What does Matilda learn about her mother from Eliza?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why does Dr. Rush want the black people to help care for fever victims?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Matilda is helping out at Elizas house, acting more like an adult with each passing day. Give three ways Matilda is
acting like a mature adult.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Why does Matilda decide to hurry up and take Nell to the orphan house?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Describe the orphanage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What does Matilda find out about Colette Ogilvie?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What falls from the sky as Eliza and Matilda are walking home? ____________________________________________
10. Who is hidden behind the shutters in the house Matilda and Eliza pass on their way home? _____________________
11. Why is it difficult for farmers to come to Philadelphia to sell food?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. What odd ingredient are the people of Philadelphia putting in their bread? __________________________________
13. Who is making a profit off the yellow fever? ___________________________________________________________
14. Once William, Robert, and Nell come down with yellow fever, Matilda suggests that Eliza take them to Bush Hill. Eliza
refuses. Where does Matilda suggest instead? ____________________________________________________________
15. Why is Matilda so against calling a doctor to help William, Robert, and Nell?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Study Questions Chapters 26-Epilogue

1. Why do Eliza and Matilda drag all the furniture outside to the garden?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What does Joseph bring the boys and Nell when he comes to visit?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why does Matilda go to the market?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What are the prices at the market? ___________________________________________________________________
5. Nathaniel stayed locked in a house with his employer, Mr. Peale, during the plague. Since they never left or let anyone
enter, how did they survive with the food shortage?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Why is Matilda annoyed at all the people returning from the country?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. What does Matilda enjoy at the end of each day?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Why hasnt Matilda received a letter from her mother?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What chore do Matilda and Eliza give to the children to keep them busy and out of trouble?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What does Joseph want Matilda do to with the coffeehouse?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Why does Matilda need a lawyer to make Eliza a full partner of the coffeehouse?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. What does the messenger bring during Thanksgiving dinner?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Describe business at the coffeehouse.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. People have been returning to Philadelphia and the town is coming alive once again. What event sparks a massive
return to the city for all the remaining people in the country?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. What has happened to Matildas mother?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________