Honestly I have to admit that this novel left me with quite a few mixed reactions. On one hand you’ve got to admire it’s scope, characters, plot, unpredictability and writing style. On the other hand I felt that some bits just dragged and a few good chunks could have been left out. It’s a 100 pages too long.
Plot-wise it’s a family saga, but one that has a bit of everything chucked in so there are glimpses of Horror, Comedy , Historical and even some LGBT (which is the most revealing and surprising part of the book). Throughout five decades we see the fall and rise of the James Piper, his Lebanese Wife and his three daughters ( SPOILER – and granddaughter) Absolutely nothing is as it seems with the Piper women and the reader learns about the dark secrets of the family til the very last page.
As I said before my enjoyment of the novel was hindered by the dull sections and sometimes even the archaic writing style was bothersome and I did struggle to finish reading it. However I have a feeling that lots of other people would adore this book. Maybe I read it at the wrong time? or have I read better novels in the same vein? Anyway if you do decide to tackle Fall on your Knees do bear in mind that you need a bit of patience.
The Bobsphere 