Fall On Your Knees (Oprah's Book Club)

Well, this story would never be referred to as "uplifting", that's for sure! The story, writing style, and character development are well done, though much of the subjest matter is sad and dark (what's up with THAT, Oprah?? This is one of your book club picks, and they are usually more uplifting than this). I listened to the audio book version, and the reader was very good. More than once, I...more

Well, this story would never be referred to as "uplifting", that's for sure! The story, writing style, and character development are well done, though much of the subjest matter is sad and dark (what's up with THAT, Oprah?? This is one of your book club picks, and they are usually more uplifting than this). I listened to the audio book version, and the reader was very good. More than once, I found myself thinking that if I had "read" it, I might not have stuck it out, but the reader did such a good job, she made me hang in there with the story. All in all, it was a "good" book, in that the writer is talented, the plot had quality and was not entirely expected, but the dark overtones of the story (incest) were just something I guess I didn't need to read, as the 6:00 news gives me enough of those sad tales.   hide

Interesting piece of writting. I was extreamly disturbed with the storyline of the sisters and their relationship with their father. Read to the end hoping it would get better, but never did. Very depressing, threw the book out of my personal library and would never reconmend this book to others..other than to say its VERY unsettling to read. Highly disappointed, this book never gives hope for...more

Interesting piece of writting. I was extreamly disturbed with the storyline of the sisters and their relationship with their father. Read to the end hoping it would get better, but never did. Very depressing, threw the book out of my personal library and would never reconmend this book to others..other than to say its VERY unsettling to read. Highly disappointed, this book never gives hope for these children.   hide

Compelling story, beautiful writing. Incredible book for a first-time author. Hard to put down.

Another of Oprah's picks, I thought I might have a hard time getting into this book, but as usual, she chose well. Set in the early 1900's we meet James and learn just a little of his background. He tunes pianos to get by and it is while working that he meets the lovely and promising Materia at twelve years old. So smitten are they with one another that they run off one night and marry...more

Another of Oprah's picks, I thought I might have a hard time getting into this book, but as usual, she chose well. Set in the early 1900's we meet James and learn just a little of his background. He tunes pianos to get by and it is while working that he meets the lovely and promising Materia at twelve years old. So smitten are they with one another that they run off one night and marry only to be shunned by Materia's family. Marriage wasn't all they expected but life goes on and it isn't long before James's fascination with Materia wanes but luckily by that time, he has his beautiful daughter Kathleen to tutor and educate. His hopes and dreams for her are what keeps him working. Materia in her own way discovers she actually does love her firstborn as much as her other daughters but she's unable to protect or save her in the end. This bluntly told story doesn't hold back. It has captured my interest and imagination and looks like a promising story. I realized somewhere around halfway through that I'd heard or read part of this book once before. Funny it took me that long to recognize it. Tragedy strikes at the halfway point, there's a big shift after three deaths and funerals in the course of a week. Still life goes on at the Piper house, for children learn what they live and the younger Piper daughters have adapted to what they've seen and learned over the years. To have three such sudden and tragic deaths and funerals in so short a time surely leads to a madness. For Francis the youngest daughter to have partaken and witnessed things before she could understand wholly, had taken a toll on her. The father and daughters, play off of one another's weaknesses at times. This was a long story of how a family bends and is molded by the experiences they face. The subject is a sensitive one. Incest. The story is not about James and Materia but about their children, the lovely Kathleen is at the center of the story. Plain Mercedes seems to hold the family together but turns out to have her own motives. What finally tames wild Frances from her lurid night life. How can such sweetness come from little Lily, beloved by her father, resented by Mercedes and the object of Frances taunting and love.   hide