Final Jeopardy: 21st Century Novels (12-12-13)

The Final Jeopardy question (12/12/2013), in the category “21st Century Novels” was:

In a letter to the author, President Obama called this ‘a lovely book– an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling.’

2-day champ Meredith Larson has won $42,701 so far. In her third game, she is up against these two players: Woody Bell, from Columbia, MD; and Rachel Hirsch, from Cambridge, MA.

Meredith found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Happy December, Everybody!” She was in second place with $2,400, $1,800 less than Rachel’s lead. She bet $2,000 and she was RIGHT.

Hallmark suggests including a strip of adinkra cloth to your card for this holiday. show

WHAT IS KWANZAA?

Meredith and Rachel finished in a tie for the lead with $5,200 each. Woody was next with $2,200.

Woody found the first Daily Double in “Political Books.” He was in third place with $4,200, $1,400 less than Rachel’s lead. He bet $3,200 and he was RIGHT.

“Nerve Center” is Michael Bohn’s history of this “Room”. The White House Crisis-Management Center that he once ran. show

WHAT IS “THE SITUATION ROOM”?

Rachel found the last Daily Double in “You’re an Animal.” In the lead with $12,800, she had $600 more than Woody in second place. She bet $2,800 and thought they were wombats. That was WRONG.

In 1925, Australia sent the San Diego Zoo Snugglepot & Cuddlepie, its first pair of these. show

WHAT ARE KOALAS?

Woody finished in the lead with $12,600. Rachel was next with $8,400 and Meredith was in third place with $3,600.

NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS “LIFE OF PI”?

Canadian author Yann Martel commented in a Saskatoon Star Phoenix article (Apr 2010) that it blew him away to receive a letter from Barack Obama, primarily because he’s not American, and also because Obama stood to gain nothing from sending him the note. Martel met Obama in person the previous year.

Meredith wrote down “Eat Pray Love.” She bet everything and finished with nothing.

Rachel wrote down “Olive Kittrige” (at least that’s what it looked like). She lost her $8,200 bet and finished with $200.

Woody didn’t get it either but he was smiling even before his “a raisen in the sun” reply was revealed. He lost $4,201 and won the match with $8,399. Congrats to Woody!

We think Alex Trebek put the jinx on Meredith by commenting that the smartest players seem to come from Washington, D.C. in the beginning of show. Rachel played a heck of a good game but ran into a bit of bad luck at the end of Double Jeopardy! We hope she doesn’t feel bad about the wombats. We thought they were twin kangaroos.