58 pages • 1 hour read
Ann-Marie MacDonaldFall on your Knees
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald follows the Piper family in early 20th-century Cape Breton and New York, focusing on three sisters, Kathleen, Mercedes, and Frances, as they navigate a convoluted world of family secrets, religious conflict, and dark passions. The novel explores themes of sexuality, death, and the clash between flesh and spirit in a Catholic context. The book contains graphic depictions of violence, including combat, death by suicide, and medical trauma. It also details pedophilia, sexual assault, incest, and rape, alongside depictions of racial intolerance, bigotry, anti-gay bias, and substance addiction.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Ann-Marie MacDonald's Fall on Your Knees is praised for its complex, multi-generational narrative and rich character development. Critics commend its lyrical prose and compelling exploration of dark themes. However, some find the intricate plot and disturbing content overwhelming. Overall, it's a powerful, captivating read for those who appreciate intense family sagas.
Who Should Read Fall on your Knees?
Readers who revel in multi-generational family epics with emotional depth and dark secrets will be captivated by Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Fall on Your Knees. Fans of works like Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides or The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver will find this novel equally enthralling.