Book Discussion Group

NOTE: This book discussion will not be held at the DAI. We will be announcing the location for the meeting soon--please check our page for updates! Thank you!

We’ll read Fall on Your Knees  by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Fall on Your Knees is a sweeping, multi-generational novel set largely in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in the early 20th century. It follows the Piper family—especially James and Materia and their daughters—as secrets, trauma, forbidden relationships, and family tensions shape their lives across several decades.

The novel explores love, abuse, race, sexuality, religion, guilt, and the lasting effects of family secrets. MacDonald gradually reveals how the characters’ choices and hidden histories affect one another, creating a complex portrait of a family struggling to survive both its circumstances and itself. The book’s title evokes both physical and emotional collapse, but also suggests themes of humility, suffering, and the possibility of redemption.

For discussion, the novel offers rich questions about whether secrets can ever truly protect a family, how trauma is passed between generations, and whether forgiveness is possible without fully knowing the truth.

We warmly invite you to join us for a shared reading and open conversation, where reflections and new perspectives are always welcome. No registration is needed — simply come along and be part of the discussion.

5 € I erm. 3 € I FV 2 € I in English

09/22/26 | 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM  Gleißbühlstraße 9, 90402 Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut Nürnberg