Following the curves of the twentieth century, FALL ON YOUR KNEES takes us from haunted Cape Breton island in Nova Scotia through the battlefields of World War I into the emerging jazz scene in New York City, and immerses us in the lives of four unforgettable sisters.
Following the curves of the twentieth century, FALL ON YOUR KNEES takes us from haunted Cape Breton island in Nova Scotia through the battlefields of World War I into the emerging jazz scene in New York City, and immerses us in the lives of four unforgettable sisters. The children of a driven and ambitious father, the sisters -Kathleen, the oldest, a beautiful talent intent on a career as an opera diva; Frances, the drunken rogue and child prostitute; Lily, the pseudo-saint cripple; and Mercedes, the fervent Catholic and protector of the flock - are swept along by the tumult of events and of their own desires. This is a story of family relationships, racial strife, miracles, attempted murder, birth and eath, and an extraordinary love affair.
Haunting debut novel from one of Canada's most admired playwrights and
actresses. It traces a family from Cape Breton island, Nova Scotia, through
the First World War into the emerging Jazz scene of New York. Four sister
cope very differently with growing up in a troubled family. "(Fall on Your
Knees) is a wonderful story, a depressing, bleak, magical tale, a curious
testament to both the power of love and the inability of humans to live
fully without it... It is a rare talent that can produce it for others
to see" Mary Loudon, (The Times).
