Desert Bloom Trivia Quiz

Answer: 2 sisters

Rose is thirteen, and the oldest of three girls. Her sisters are named Dee Ann and Barbara Jo. Rose and her sisters live in Las Vegas with their mother, Lily, and stepfather Jack.

Answer: Service station

Jack is a WWII veteran who suffers from what today would be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He owns a service station called 'Jack's Desert Gas', which is the last stop before 400 miles of desert. Jack enjoys listening to his ham radio so he can find out what the military is working on in the desert.

After the government announces that atomic tests will be taking place in Nevada, Jack renames his station 'Jack's Atomic Gas'.

Answer: True

Lily's younger sister, Starr, comes to stay with the Chismores while she establishes residency in Las Vegas. She can be divorced after being there for 42 days. Rose idolizes her Aunt Starr, who begins dating a wealthy man while she's waiting for her divorce.

Answer: Trailer park

The trailer park is called Lucky Aces, and the entrance runs right beside the Chismore's house. The boy whom Rose likes, Robin, lives in the trailer park.

Answer: to go swimming

After Mr. Mosel drops Rose and Robin off, they discuss how warm the weather is for December. Rose mentions that the thermometer at school read 79 degrees, and Robin asks her to go swimming with him. Rose agrees to go, but tells Starr that she doesn't know how to swim. Starr shows up at the pool with a couple of friends who teach Rose how to swim.

Answer: Tubes for his radio

Jack falls off of his stool while drinking, pulling his radio off of the table. Rose finds him unconscious on the floor, and we later hear that Jack is drying out in a hospital. Rose finds out why the radio isn't working, and replaces the tubes. After Jack comes home, Rose tells him what she did and that it's her present. Jack tells her not to mess with his radio again.

Answer: messing with his radio

While Starr is fitting Rose's dress for Meryl's dance party, Jack comes home and goes in his room. When he retrieves a bottle of booze from behind his radio, he accidentally pulls out a wire, causing the radio not to work. Jack wrongfully accuses Rose of going into his room and doing something to his radio.

He tells Rose she's not going to the party, and when Rose tells him that's not fair, Jack hits her. Starr uses make-up to cover Rose's bruise and she goes to the party. Mr. Mosel notices the bruises and tells Rose if she needs anything at any time, she should come to him or his wife. Later, at Starr's party, Mr. Mosel tells Jack that if he ever sees another bruise on Rose, he will come after Jack.

Answer: when the A-bomb test is going to be

Lily has a job at the Cortez Hotel, but later gets a better one with the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission). Mr. Mosel is very concerned about atomic testing and wants to know when the test is going to be so he can send his wife and daughter to Los Angeles. Lily tells him to watch the light over the AEC office. If it's green, the test will take place within 24 hours.

Answer: False

Rose goes home to help with preparations for Starr's divorce party before the spelling bee, and finds Jack and Starr kissing. She runs out of the house and back to school. Mr. Mosel, Meryl and Shelly are at the spelling bee cheering Rose on (Mr. Mosel makes a bet with the woman behind him for $20 that the tall girl with the braids will win). Rose wins the spelling bee by correctly spelling the word 'mensch'. Jack shows up when the spelling bee is almost over, which upsets Rose.

Answer: Robin

The adults are busy playing cards at the party, while Jack stands guard against communists on the front porch. Rose sneaks out of the house through her bedroom window, and knocks on Robin's door. After Rose tells Robin that she's going to her grandmother's house in Reno, Robin unsuccessfully tries to talk her out of leaving.

He doesn't want Rose to be by herself, so he stays with her and they hitch a ride. The road to Reno is closed due to the atomic bomb test, so Robin and Rose plan to stay in the desert overnight.

The military finds them and Jack shows up to take them home. Rose says that she left her glasses when she ran, and is impressed when Jack runs back to find them for her. They return to the Chismore's house, and later see the mushroom cloud from the atomic bomb test.