I'll preface by saying that this is not the kind of book I would have ever chosen for myself to read. I bought a box of books recommended by the Oprah Book Club and read them slowly. "Fall on Your Knees" is not a book for a casual day on the beach. It is not light reading and it is not for those looking for happy endings. The book chronicles the life of a family: James Piper and his four daughters, Kathleen, Frances, Mercedes and Lily. Once one acclimates to the writing style, short, precise, carefully chosen words that refuse to reveal too much, this book is as difficult to read as it is difficult to put down. The location is Cape Briton, Nova Scotia. James, after having married a child Lebanese bride, is suddenly father to Kathleen, red haired and firey with the voice of an angel who is ultimately sent to school in New York, comes home pregnant and dies giving birth to twins. Frances, the firebrand, who defies traditional rules, defies her father with her every breath. Mercedes, the devout Catholic, sweeps her family's dysfunction under the rug and protects the family secrets. Lily, the innocent daughter of Kathleen, is adopted as the fourth sister to hide Kathleen's shame, and ultimately seeks redemption and uncovers the truth, a truth that will not be revealed until the very end. There is everything in this book, sex, rock and roll, Jazz, lies, truth, anger, love, forbidden love, passion, repression, bliss, hate, disappointment, and ultimately forgiveness.
I loved this book and would recommend it to seasoned readers and those who love books that defy convention, tackle forbidden subjects and can handle a rather uncomfortable reading experience. The themes of secrets and burial run throughout the novel but underneath these themes run the themes of redemption and truth and the concept of family and the complex relationships that run within them. Each sisters place is well defined within the family and though the sisters are as different as night and day, the thread that ties them together is never severed
Fall On Your Knees (Oprah's Book Club)
My Book Store
My DVD Store
No comments:
Post a Comment