A BRIDGE TO WISEMAN’S COVE by James Moloney

CLOSE READING QUESTIONS

SARAH p.8-14
1. Why is Sarah so unsupportive of the vegetable garden?
Sarah is unsupportive of the vegetable garden because Kelly
started a vegie patch at every place, they lived but never stayed
long enough to make sure the vegetable patch grew and
flourished. When Kelly planted, it was important to Carl
because it made him think that his mother was going to stay. It made him believe
that she really did love him.
2. What are the lines that tell us that Sarah is anxious and stressed? (p.9)
“She drove off in the Laser, eyes ahead, gripping the wheel like a desperate swimmer
clinging to a lifebuoy.” This line suggests that Sarah is anxious and stressed.
3. What do we know about Harley?
The quote “Harley with freedom on his own bike never came home until he was
hungry” tells us that Harley is a bit of a loose cannon. He doesn’t like people telling
him what to do and doesn’t feel responsible for the family at all.
4. What does Sarah announce to her brothers and how do they both react to her news?
Sarah told her brothers that she is going overseas next month and that she had
planned it since before mum went away. Both Carl and Harley were shocked and did
not want to want to live with Mr and Mrs Raynor.
5. Why does Harley’s messy eating upset Carl?
Harley’s messy eating upset Carl because he had washing as a chore and that just
made more work for him.
6. “Carl moved silently to where he could hear and not be seen. He was practised at it
and knew where to stand, for this was part of the pattern he recognised.” What is
Carl recognising?
Carl is recognising Sarah doing the same thing Kelly would do before disappearing for
days and weeks.
7. How does Sarah feel about her decision?
Sarah felt horrible about her decision but believed that she is only 19 and that Carl
and Harley would be fine by themselves with Aunt Beryl for a while.
8. How does Sarah manage to persuade Aunt Beryl to take the boys?
Sarah manages to persuade Aunt Beryl to take the boys by sending Kelly’s Social
Security cheque to her address.
9. What is it that “Carl knew”?
Carl knew that Sarah was not sure of how long he would be with Aunt Beryl.
 10.What hints do we get that the boys will be going for longer than a few weeks?
Firstly, when Sarah told the boys that it’s only for a few a few weeks, she said it
multiple times to herself to reassure herself. Adding on, she insisted that Harley
should take some jumpers as it could become cold, which could means that by the
time that she comes back it might have been cold. Furthermore, Sarah gave Carl
hundreds of dollars, which implies that Carl and Harley need that much money to
survive.
11.How does Carl feel about Sarah’s decision to leave them?
Carl couldn’t blame her, couldn’t hate her. He loved her and she was like his second
mother.
12.What does the writer mean by “It was the same drowning woman he has seen in the
Laser, clutching the steering wheel”?
It means that Sarah rushed off because she wanted to avoid any explanation of what
the meeting with the tall man was about.
13.How do we know that Sarah feels really conflicted about her decision?
Sarah continuously said, “I’m only nineteen”. It is not fair that she has to take care of
her two younger brothers and not be able to live her life.
AUNT BERYL p.15-21
1. How do we know that Harley and Carl are travelling quite a long way? Give quotes
from the book.
“It was an antidote to their leaving as each kilometre of highway took him and Harley
further into dislocation.” and “Two hours of monotony brought them to Hendon…”
suggests that Harley and Carl are travelling a long way.
2. Why was Carl nervous?
Carl was nervous because he didn’t know when Harley would be back time.
3. Why do you think that Carl felt like crying when Harley saw the sea?
Carl felt like crying when Harley saw the sea because he had actually seen it before
Harley but couldn’t tell him that because he was too old.
4. What sort of a character is Harley?
5. The quote “Harley with freedom on his own bike never came home until he was
hungry” tells us that Harley is a bit of a loose cannon. He doesn’t like people telling
him what to do and doesn’t feel responsible for the family at all.
6. What does Carl have to do to their luggage?
Carl had to carry four heavy bags to Aunt Beryl’s house.
7. Give 2 quotes that tell us about the weather.
“What were you out in the heat for?” and “Too hot at night to need anything on top
of you.”
8. How long was it since the boys had visited Aunt Beryl’s house?
It had been 3 years since Carl and Harley had visited Aunt Beryl’s house.
 9. What is Beryl’s relationship to Kerry?
Aunt Beryl is Kerry’s sister.
10.How does Beryl welcome her nephews?
Aunt Beryl welcomes her nephews with no care and she was acting like an
irresponsible adult. She does not pick them up from the bus stop and instead leaves
them to find their own way to her house.

11.Find a quote that shows us she makes minimal effort.

“You can sleep on those blankets for now, too hot at night to need anything on top of
you.”
12.When does Beryl think Kerry will be back? Why?
Aunt Beryl thinks that Kerry will be back by Christmas. This can be seen by the quote,
“Yeah. But she’ll be back by Christmas, I bet. She always liked Christmas.”
13.Why is Beryl in a good mood tonight?
Aunt Beryl had a win on the poker machines at the Bowls Club that afternoon.
14.How does Beryl make Carl feel like he is imposing or unwelcome?
Aunt Beryl watched them eat, judging the cost of two hungry boys, especially Carl.
WATTLE BEACH p.22-25
1. What does Carl notice about the people in the main street on Sunday morning?
Everybody had someone. None of them were lonely like Carl himself. This can be
seen in the line “Once again he was the only solitary human being on the entire
planet.
2. How is this a contrast or his own family?
The people in Main Street seemed walked, spoke or laughed with atleast one
another. Carl’s family lacked communication.
3. What does Carl do and why?
Carl followed a beautiful girl on the beach because he thought he had found
someone that was alone like him.
4. Why is he disappointed?
Carl was disappointed when the girl’s friend came over because it made him feel
even more alone.
5. What does he feel ‘he was the only solitary human being on the entire planet’?
He was the only one that didn’t have someone else to go to the beach with him.
6. What does Carl notice about the girl in the blue bikini?
Carl notices that the girl in the blue bikini is very self-confident. Obviously, she has no
concerns about her body and has an air around her that she knows that looks will
follow her.
7. What happens to him?
Carl lost his balance and tumbled forward.
HARLEY p.26-31
 1. What does Aunt Beryl do to help Carl?
Aunt Beryl helped Carl by suggesting he use some sunscreen before going to the
beach.
2. Why does the policeman want Carl’s help to find Harley?
The policeman wants Carls to find Harley because Harley would want to come to Carl.
3. How has Harley acted the same as ‘all the Matts’?
Harley acted the same as ‘all the Matts’ by stealing from the general store.
4. Why does Carl feel a fool?
Carl feels like a fool because Harley did as the Nugent said; acted the same as all the
Matts.
5. Why does he wish that he were a concrete statue?
Carl wishes that he were a concrete statue because he wanted to have no thoughts,
no cares, and no pain.
6. Why does Carl watch Beryl’s house from the end of the street? What does this tell
us?
Carl watches Beryl’s house from the end of the street because he was waiting for
Harley so that they could go inside and face Aunt Beryl together.
7. What is so shocking about Beryl’s reaction?
Aunt Beryl used corporal punishment.
8. What was it that Carl took ‘like a punchy boxer’?
All the nasty torments from Aunt Beryl.
9. What does it mean the money was ‘warm as blood’?
The money was “warm as blood” means that Carl had kept the money so close to
himself, not trusting Aunt Beryl.
10.Why does he feel like a fool a second time?
He felt like a fool for revealing that he had money on him given by Sarah. He could
have used a few dollars each day to discourage Harley’s thieving.

THE CAFÉ p.32-35

1. What does Carl do in the early afternoon every day?
Each afternoon Carl waited for the daily bus in case his mother was among the
passengers. The rest of his time he divided between watching Harley and looking for
the girl he had followed to the beach.
2. What does he notice as he watches?
Carl noticed that he could identify the visitors from the locals.
3. What unkind comment does one of the boys make?
“Afraid to show off the body, more likely”
4. How does Justine respond?
Justine tries her best to prove him wrong by saying; “It’s so I don’t get sunburnt” and
makes the boy lose his balance and fall by nudging the metal table.
 5. How does Carl embarrass himself?
Carl embarrasses himself by falling of the chair and everyone laughed including
Maddie.

MERRY CHRISTMAS p.36-43

1. What does Carl get Harley for Christmas and why?
Carl gets Harley some orange reflectors to put on his bike because he races a lot
during the night.
2. How does Beryl react to Carl’s gift?
Aunt Beryl was delighted.
3. What does these 2 things reveal about Carl?
He is very caring and observant.
4. Who does Carl recognise at Christmas dinner at the Trelfos?
Carl recognised Nathan, the sun-bleached boy from the Café.
5. Why does Beryl get annoyed at Carl?
Aunt Beryl gets annoyed at Carl because he has no friends, he doesn’t go out much
and he lives on the beach but doesn’t go swimming.
6. What does Carl do on New Year’s Eve?
Carl followed Harley around until ten o’clock when he saw the Bonfire on the beach.
7. Why is Justine so angry?
Justine was angry because she couldn’t lift Maddie while Nathan (Maddie’s pathetic
boyfriend) went off with his other friends to go off and find someone else to spend
New Year’s celebration with.
8. What do Nathan’s comments reveal about his character?
Nathans comments reveal that he is a pathetic boyfriend as he kept giving Maddie
drinks without a care that she wouldn’t be able to handle them. He had no worries
about leaving her drunk body alone with Justine.
9. How does Carl help?
Carl helps lift Maddie to Justine’s place.
10.What does Maddie do?
Maddie throws up on Carl and apologises making vague sense.
11.What does Carl see that he shouldn’t? What does his reaction tell us about him?
Carl saw Maddie half naked.
12.Where does Carl want to go?
Carl wanted to escape to a place where he was free and the name Carl Matt didn’t
mean what it meant in Wattle Beach.