The novel Fall on Your Knees is the story of a rather dysfunctional family and their lives on an island off Nova Scotia in the first part of the 1900s. James Piper, the father, eloped with a well-to-do man’s daughter, and over a period of years, they have three daughters. To support them, James first works as a piano tuner. Later after fighting in WWI, he becomes a boot maker. Finally, during the years of prohibition, he turns to bootlegging.

But his daughters are the main characters of the story. Kathleen is the first born and becomes a talented singer who later takes professional lessons in New York City. Mercedes is the middle sister and takes over housekeeping after their mother’s mysterious death. She later becomes a local school teacher. Frances is the youngest and strays away from Catholic teachings every chance she gets. She befriends Lily, Kathleen’s crippled daughter and saves her ill-gotten money for Lily’s cure. None of the Piper girls ever marry, but Kathleen and Frances have secret affairs with blacks, all of which Mercedes records in her family tree.

Ann-Marie Macdonald uses some unique methods in telling this family story. Tragic events, even deaths, are described through the eyes of one observer, only to be later corrected or disputed by another. This helps develop suspense but at the same time forces readers to draw their own conclusions. Many events require careful study or a second reading.

Fall on Your Knees was published in 1996. Even though Ann-Marie Macdonald is a Canadian writer, the book was a bestseller in this country and was later selected by the Oprah Book Club.