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Quiz about The Ladies of Missalonghi
Quiz about The Ladies of Missalonghi

"The Ladies of Missalonghi" Trivia Quiz


This delightful little story, by Australian author Colleen McCullough, describes a shy young woman's journey from genteel poverty to the life she has always wanted.

A multiple-choice quiz by angelgirl62. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
angelgirl62
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
243,687
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
154
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Let's begin with the "Ladies" of the title. Which of these four ladies does not live in the house called Missalonghi? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In what way is Una connected to Missy? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. On the day the story begins, why does Missy go to Maxwell's store? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Another of the major characters is the mysterious John Smith. Where does Missy first meet him? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. After Aunt Aurelia buys Alicia's household linens from the ladies of Missalonghi, Drusilla decides that they can all afford new dresses for Alicia's wedding. What color and type of fabric will Missy's new dress be? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. On her way home from Herbert's shop with the dress fabric (as well as the library book "The Troubled Heart"), Missy collapses in the roadway. What is the cause of her collapse? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Uncle Billy and the other directors of the Byron Bottle Company are very worried about the business. What has them so concerned? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. On the day of the shareholders' meeting, what other notable event happens? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Why did the mystery buyer pay so much for Byron Bottle Company shares? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Who of the following people does John Smith ask to serve on the board of directors of the Byron Bottle Company? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Let's begin with the "Ladies" of the title. Which of these four ladies does not live in the house called Missalonghi?

Answer: Alicia

Missalonghi belongs to the poor widow Drusilla Hurlingford Wright. Missy Wright, the main character of the story, is Drusilla's daughter. Octavia Hurlingford is Drusilla's unmarried sister. Alicia Marshall is Drusilla and Octavia's wealthy niece.
2. In what way is Una connected to Missy?

Answer: She is Missy's best friend.

Missy is an only child, as her father died when she was a baby. Missy has many aunts on the Hurlingford side of her family - Drusilla has at least six sisters (Aurelia, Augusta, and Antonia, who all married rich men, and the spinsters, Octavia, Julia, and Cornelia) and two brothers (Maxwell and Herbert, both of whom have sons, so they are or were married). Una, as Livilla Hurlingford's first cousin, is also a distant cousin of Missy's - and is Missy's best friend, encouraging her to stand up for herself and to follow her dreams.
3. On the day the story begins, why does Missy go to Maxwell's store?

Answer: To buy oats for the next morning's breakfast.

Missy's uncle Maxwell Hurlingford owns the grocery and feed store in Byron. Missy earns her spending money by selling the extra butter and eggs from Missalonghi, but on the day the story starts, she is replacing the oats that the mice ate. Maxwell's brother Herbert owns the fabric and clothing shop, and Alicia (though the business is officially in her mother's name) owns the hat shop.
4. Another of the major characters is the mysterious John Smith. Where does Missy first meet him?

Answer: In Maxwell's store.

John Smith comes into Maxwell's store just before closing time, as Missy is paying for her purchase. She goes from there to the library, where her friend Una asks if she's seen John Smith yet. Missy describes the stranger in the store, and Una confirms that he is John Smith. While Una had known him in Sydney, Missy's first encounter with him was at Maxwell's.
5. After Aunt Aurelia buys Alicia's household linens from the ladies of Missalonghi, Drusilla decides that they can all afford new dresses for Alicia's wedding. What color and type of fabric will Missy's new dress be?

Answer: Brown satin.

Drusilla chooses lilac crepe. Octavia has had her eye on the blue silk. Missy silently wishes for a scarlet lace dress and hat, but lacks the courage to suggest it, or to object to her mother's recommendation of the brown satin.
6. On her way home from Herbert's shop with the dress fabric (as well as the library book "The Troubled Heart"), Missy collapses in the roadway. What is the cause of her collapse?

Answer: Shortness of breath resulting from a pinched spinal nerve.

John Smith, witnessing her collapse, at first thinks she tripped while trying to avoid him; her mother and aunt fear that it may be heart trouble; and Missy herself, not wanting to be a burden to them, at first insists to Dr. Hurlingford that she must have fainted. Dr. Parkinson, the heart specialist in Sydney, diagnoses her problem as a pinched nerve.
7. Uncle Billy and the other directors of the Byron Bottle Company are very worried about the business. What has them so concerned?

Answer: A mystery buyer is acquiring a lot of shares in the company.

While several of the family spinsters and widows do own shares, Billy has managed to convince them that the shares are worthless. He plans to trick them into giving Alicia the shares as a wedding present, so that he and the other directors can fend off the mystery buyer's takeover attempt. Byron Bottle is described as a thriving business, so the springs and the machinery must be going strong!
8. On the day of the shareholders' meeting, what other notable event happens?

Answer: Alicia elopes with Uncle Billy's chauffeur.

Missy goes to Sydney for her appointment with Dr. Parkinson, and to sell her mother's and aunts' shares, on a Tuesday. The next day, Drusilla goes into Byron to deliver Julia's and Cornelia's money from the shares, and buys the sewing machine. In the meantime, Missy has gone down into the valley to propose to John Smith.

They are married two days later, and the shareholders' meeting is the day after their wedding. That morning, the Marshall household is in an uproar over Alicia's elopement, while the men are also preparing for the meeting.
9. Why did the mystery buyer pay so much for Byron Bottle Company shares?

Answer: He had a grudge against the Hurlingfords.

John Smith, the mystery buyer, is a very shrewd businessman who deliberately offers a high price to shareholders who normally would not sell to anyone outside the family. After he gains control and announces his planned improvements, Maxwell, Herbert, Sir William, and several others are so overcome with spite that they sell out to him completely, cutting themselves off from any further profits.

This confirms Smith's opinion that they are fools. Smith's grudge against the Hurlingford clan stems from their snobbish treatment of him during his unhappy first marriage, to Una Hurlingford.
10. Who of the following people does John Smith ask to serve on the board of directors of the Byron Bottle Company?

Answer: All of the answers are correct

Smith, the chairman of the board, declares that he wants women on the board because they will bring a fresh perspective to new and old problems. He names Missy as his vice-chair, and invites Drusilla, Octavia, Julia, and Cornelia to serve as directors - as he greatly admires their fortitude in coping with poverty and the deceit of their male relatives over the years.

So, all ends happily for "The Ladies of Missalonghi"!
Source: Author angelgirl62

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor MotherGoose before going online.
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