Location Hunting in Literature Quiz

Answer: Brooklyn

Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is based partly on her own life. The plot traces the life of a young girl, Francie, living in Brooklyn, New York City in the early 20th century. It was adapted into a movie and earned Peggy Ann Garner a Special Academy Award for Outstanding Child Actress for her performance as the protagonist.

Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs that make up New York City and was named after the Dutch village of Breukelen.

Answer: Odessa

"The Odessa File" is a thriller by Frederick Forsyth in the vein of his popular works. The storyline involves a young reporter's search for a former concentration camp commander. The Odessa of the title does not refer to the place but an acronym - "Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen", which translates to "Organisation of Former Members of the SS".

Odessa is a Ukrainian seaport on the Black Sea. Founded by the Russian Empress Catherine the Great, it is nicknamed "Pearl of the Black Sea".

Answer: India

Set in India during the British Raj, "A Passage to India" explores the theme of whether a Britisher and and Indian could be friends when the former's country has colonized the latter. The story is set in Chandrapore, a fictitious village along the Ganges while the incident that drives the plot takes place in the nearby Malabar Caves.

Large swathes of the Indian subcontinent came under the control of the East India Company from the 17th century. It was only after the failed Indian Rebellion of 1857 that the British government assumed direct control of the region. It was another century before India managed to finally attain independence.

Answer: Venice

In "The Merchant of Venice", the title character is unable to repay a large loan taken from a moneylender. When the merchant defaults, the moneylender asks for a 'pound of flesh' as his payment. Other Shakespearean plays that fit the theme of this quiz include "The Two Gentlemen of Verona", "The Merry Wives of Windsor", and "Timon of Athens".

Venice was an independent city-state before it was annexed into the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century. It's advantageous location on the Adriatic Sea led to its prominence as a trade center which in turn generated wealth for its citizens.

Answer: Guernsey

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" is set in the aftermath of World War II. Author Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, Dawsey Adams, about a book that she had owned previously that Dawsey and his neighbours had read as part of a book club. This leads to a series of letters exchanged between them till Juliet finally visits Guernsey.

Guernsey is the second largest of the Channel Islands, a British Crown Dependency located in the English Channel. It was occupied by German forces during World War II.

Answer: Canterbury

In Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", a group of pilgrims are on their way to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. On the way, they decide to tell each other tales with the winner of the contest earning a free meal at the inn. There are 24 tales in the book written in a mixture of verse and prose.

Canterbury is located in Kent, England and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Apart from the famous Canterbury Cathedral, other sites of interest are the Roman Museum and Marlowe Theatre, named after the playwright Christopher Marlowe.

Answer: Panama

Harry Pendel is the eponymous "Tailor of Panama". A British expat in Panama City, his past is shrouded in mystery with even his family unaware of him having picked up tailoring while he was in prison. A spy novel in the vein of le Carré's other novels, it was adapted into a film headlined by Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush.

Panama is a transcontinental country covering both Central and South America. It is best known for the famous Panama Canal that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Answer: Jamaica

Despite its title, the novel is not in fact based in Jamaica. The story unfolds in Cornwall where an actual inn called the Jamaica Inn has existed since the 18th century. Daphne du Maurier stayed there in the 1930s, which inspired this novel. The plot is based on a group of men who murder sailors along the coast and cause shipwrecks so they can steal the cargo.

Jamaica is an island country located in the Caribbean Sea. Christopher Columbus conquered the island for the Spanish Empire in the late 15th century when he was trying to discover a sea-route to India.

Answer: Mesopotamia

An archaeological excavation site is the backdrop for Christie's "Murder in Mesopotamia". Her famous detective Hercule Poirot finds himself in the middle of a new case when an archaeologist's wife is murdered at the site. Christie draws on her experience of being part of an archaelogical dig for this novel. Her husband Max Mallowan was an archaeologist and Christie accompanied him on some work trips.

Mesopotamia is the former name of Iraq. The name translates to 'land between the rivers' in reference to the Tigris and Euphrates that flow in the region.

Answer: St. Petersburg

Ken Follett's "The Man From St. Petersburg" is set in the period just prior to World War I. The plot hinges on secret talks between the British and the Russians on a naval alliance and how this impacts the lives of the main characters.

St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest city after the capital, Moscow. It was founded in the early 18th century by Peter the Great and named after the apostle Peter. Briefly it was also known as Petrograd and Leningrad before reverting to its original name in 1994.