Rating: 
Summary: A remarkable account of a remarkable family
Review: I really don't understand why anyone would consider this book "depressing." In this story bad things happen (a lot of them, actually) but written in MacDonald's matter-of-fact, unsentimental style the bad things just break over the characters like inevitable waves of happenstance. The characters live their lives with the true understanding that sorrow and heartbreak aren't personal, and that even the godliest people are deeply flawed. Besides, the story moves along with such force that you don't really have time to become too distressed at what is happening to our beloved sisters. It's only after you've finished the book, that you mourn for what their lives might have been.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing
Review: I'm going to keep this simple. I picked up this book in the airport as I was leaving for a trip. Once I started reading it, I did not want to put it down. That is not an exaggeration. Almost immediately the characters had taken residence in my head. When I was away from the book, I found myself wondering about them and was anxious to get back to reading more because the characters felt so real. The plot was interesting, complex and tragic. I finished the book several weeks ago and I still find myself thinking about them, Kathleen and Frances in particular. I haven't had a book that haunted me in this way in a very long time.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Expectations
Review: I bought this book simply to have something to read, figuring that Oprah's books are generally entertaining, if not substantial. (Granted, there are a few exceptions.) I can honestly say that I was completely floored. This book is chilling and hilarious at the same time and absolutely one of my top ten favorite books of all time. I am also convinced that it is one of the best novels written in the past decase. Dark and terribly sad, but very powerful. From the first couple of pages (in the graveyard) I was hooked. When I finished the book, I was literally quite surprised by how good it was. I love to read and have favorites in different genres, but "Fall On Your Knees" is as close to a parallel of Faulkner's "The Sound and The Fury" as I have ever seen. I was surprised that I have not heard more about Ann-Marie MacDonald, but hope to see much more of her work in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Spellbinder
Review: After reading twenty pages, I thought this might be a great book but bad things were going to happen. Was I ever wrong, bad things didn't happen, worse things did. Recommended it to friends who were as glad they had read it as I was. Hard book, but great story & writing.
Rating:
Summary: fabulous, gripping saga
Review: This is a great book! One of the best I've ever read. A wonderfully written story of a family through 3 generations; from the coal mines of Cape Breton to the vibrant life of New York City. With unique, fascinating characters. It is a gripping story. One of those you hate to put down and are sad when you're finished. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Wasted Time
Review: This truely was a saga that spanned the generations. I would have found it dark and depressing, had I cared. It is written much like a newspaper story. No warmth, no color, no compassion. If you need to feel better about your own childhood, it is a good read. If you've moved on, don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: The Wages of Sin/The Power of Love/Forgiveness
Review: This book is certainly not a "lighthearted" read, but is a very interesting and though provoking read. It is somewhat on the "dark" side, but that probably is due to the subject matter in many circumstances. The setting and historical timing is likely unfamilar to most of us;however, it is a graphic reminder that matters that we openly discuss today (in many instances) have been around "forever". The author certainly gives a shocking portrait of how certain sins within a family can destroy the fiber of a family, if it goes unresolved or ignored. I thought the author was as "tasteful" as you could be in dealing with some very "untasteful" matters. As a writer, it was her intent to keep us speculating about certain things until the end and she did it very well. The book is a commentary on the terrible destructive power of some sins in family, but also showed the power of love to help deal with the damage and the power and possibility of forgiveness. (Prehaps where forgiveness was not deserved some may assume) The main characters will be remembered for those that read this book for a long time. Not being Catholic, I was not totally comfortable with the picture of the Catholic faith that was portrayed in the work. I can only assume that the Catholic theology and history portrayed was accurate. I believe the book is worth your time, if you enjoy thought provoking material.
Rating:
Summary: BreathTaking!
Review: Fall on Your Knees was a absolutly beautiful masterpiece of words. Some people have said that this is a disgusting and depressing book, and in a way it is, but it's the kind of disturbing that makes you never want to put it down. from the first haunting line to the last beautiful chapter, you feel as though you are part of the Piper family with all of their dysfunctions. Their absolute struggle to make everything appear normal, when it is all falling apart, as well as the unusual bonds that develop within the family are touching and realistic...i don't think i have ever read a more "human" book!
Rating:
Summary: A Haunting Family Tale!
Review: Fall on Your Knees takes us from haunted Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, through the battlefields of World War 1, to the emerging jazz scene in New York City, and into the lives of four unforgettable sisters. The mythically charged family-James, a father of intelligence and immense ambition;Materia, his Lebanese child-bride;and their daughters: Kathleen, the eldest, a beautiful talent preparing for a career as an opera diva; Frances, incorrigible liar and hell-bent bad girl; Mercedes, obsessive Catholic and protector of the flock; and Lily; the adored invalid who takes us on a quest for truth and redemption- is supported by a richly featured cast of characters. It is a story of inescapable family bonds, of terrible secrets, of miracles, racial strife, attempted murder, birth and death, and forbidden love. It was a good read, but very complex and made you think about what you just read before going on further with the story.
Rating:
Summary: Horribly Depressing
Review: This is one of the most horribly depressing books I have ever read. I found that I was in a miserable mood the entire time I was involved in this story. I cannot believe the "author" couldn't come up with something more creative to write. I only continued with the hope of peace. She looked for the most devestating things to write and put it down on paper whether it made sence or not. She is trying shock treatment to make a name for herself. DON'T WAIST YOUR TIME!
| 
