Monday, April 2, 2007

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Well, I've finally finished this book and am having a hard time deciding what to say about it. This was a very unique book, one that is difficult to describe. It takes place on Cape Breton Island off Nova Scotia between the years of 1898 and 1953. It is ostensibly the saga of a family and primarily the four sisters in that family, but it is so much more complex than that.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but what I consider the 'middle' section, was frankly, bizarre. The tale meandered at this point, seemingly pointlessly. I don't think one good thing happened to any of the characters in this book, at least nothing that didn't go bad in the end. I did enjoy the surprising ending, it was so beautifully written I found myself reading passages over and over and catching my breath.

I'm not sure that I would recommend this book. There are some very dark themes and it seems from the reviews I've read readers either love it or hate it. I would recommend the author's second book, The Way the Crow Flies, and I would be interested in reading her future books. She does tell a good tale.

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