Rating: 
Summary: Tragic story that held my interest
Review: This book was a page turner for me because of the plot. I enjoyed the many plot twist and turns which held my interest and kept me up at nights wondering what would happen next. The Piper family's story is a tragic one, and this family has to be one of the most dysfunctional families that I had ever read about, however I felt the writing was excellent and I really wanted to see what would happen next to these people although I was very dissapointed with the ending. I do have one complaint about the publishers reviews on the back of the cover which describe this book as "Humorous" and "Hilarously Funny." This book is sad and if you are looking for a laugh you will be mislead by the reviews. The characters and the plot is interesting, even though this is a tragic story. I recommend this book to people who enjoy plot twist but not to people who are looking for a fun book to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time!
Review: This is one of the worst books I've ever read. If you like depressing books filled with death and incest, this is the book for you. Otherwise, there are so many wonderful books out there -- don't waste your time with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: No One Can Hide
Review: all on Your Knees leaves the reader breathless as it becomes more and more convoluted with every page, and characters delude both themselves, each other and us. What begins as a typical historical novel set on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia leads the reader on a journey of horrors and tragedies unspoken that make the definition of disfunctional seem to have originated right there.
The novel begins with the marriage of James, an eighteen year old of Scottish descent to Materia, the thirteen year old Lebanese daughter of one of the town's most respected and wealthy families; they ran away in the night scandalizing her family which ultimately resulted in her banishment for life from those she loved most. Woven into the story is the love of and talent for music that passes through generations and influences the lives of each character. Along with music is the strong arm of the Catholic Church which induces guilt and the accompanying sickness of unjustified penance and self-righteousness. Together these themes weave a tale not unlike the gothic aura of Faulkner at his best with incest, misegenation, abuse and homosexuality.
However, these elements are not really what permeate the novel because the truth unfolds slowly and torturously, keeping the reader in suspense, all the time luring you in and then returning with another shocking event. The end reveals the destruction of lives that could have had incredible promise but for the wrongs, the misplaced passions and the hidden truths. Despite all this, love is basically what drives the entire novel, perhaps not conventional love, but love that is contrasted with what should be and might have been. All in all, this is a book of great depth and storytelling, one in which the characters will remain alive for all who read it.
Rating:
Summary: Awful!
Review: STOP! Don't even think of reading this book unless you like to be tortured by dysfunctional characters and sickening events! This book is interesting at the beginning but progresses in a downward spiral. I forced myself to finish this book, hoping that the end would be better. NO! I felt as if the author had thrown in every horrid thing that she could in order to shock her readers and hope to get their sympathy. Walking on hot coals would be less painful than reading this book!
Rating:
Summary: Haunting...Compelling....EXCELLENT!
Review: When I first picked up this novel, I didn't think i would like it, let alone love it. The plot is very developed, and makes Cape Breton seem a very mysterious place, though really it isn't. I loved this novel as well as SOME of the characters. I really enjoyed the mystery portrayed in this novel, one of the best books I've read this year!
Rating:
Summary: Girm, but entertaining
Review: I wanted to Kill Francis, then toward the end I wanted to hug her. I tried to stop reading the book but felt I must go on just so I could find out what really happen to Kathleen. I still wasn't quite clear about the babies and who the father was. entertaining book. I'd read something else by her.
Rating:
Summary: My best read of 2002, but a sad story
Review: This is a book where you either love it or you hate it. I knew going in that it was sad and going to be a roller coaster ride. And it sure is. There is death, violence, heartbreak, incest. It is set in my home province of Nova Scotia, and it is irony to set such a dark story in such a beautiful place. When I read this book, I could not put it down. It was almost like seeing an accident, being afraid to look, but looking anyway. The characters are interesting, some are disturbing. But it is an amazing story nonetheless. Not a book for the weak...be prepared and read at your own risk. Ann Marie MacDonald can encapture you, and make you sad and then make you wonder if it enriched you or just shocked you. Find out for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: An exceptional novel
Review: It's hard to believe that this is MacDonald's first novel (being a novelist myself). Beautifully written and plotted. What is most intriguing is what she leaves out, in order to circle that material back in, again and again - almost in the way that Faulkner used to circle round a story. She is able to show how the death of an individual continues to haunt and play itself out in the lives of the siblings. A most powerful book. Wonderful characters that I won't forget for a long time. Bravo, Ms. MacDonald for a job well done!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent read, full of surprises
Review: Every time you think you have it figured out, you're wrong. A wonderful saga about a dysfunctional family trying to make a go of it. It was in turn heartbreaking, funny, scary and intriguing. It takes a long time to read it, but it's well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Trash Disguised as Literature
Review: Although I am an Oprah fan, I do not agree with some of her choices for books. In fact, I threw this book in the trash. The disgusting and disturbing themes in this book do not merit my time, nor do I want the images described in such haunting detail taking up my valuable memory cells. I do not understand how a book such as this could hold appeal for anyone. Although we all know that there are many sick people and dysfunctional families in the world, does it help anyone to read a fictional work that tries to somehow "normalize" these things? I think not. Miss MacDonald should use her considerable talent and intellect on more worthy material.
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