We Are Called to Rise

Published in 2014, Laura McBride’s first novel, We Are Called to Rise, narrates the story of four Las Vegas residents with different backgrounds whose lives become interconnected after a series of unexpected events leads to a family tragedy. Though they experience seemingly unrelated situations, they eventually play a role in each other’s lives to help heal the trauma created by loss, grief, and family abuse. This guide references the Scribd version of the Simon & Schuster hardcover edition, originally published in June 2014.

Plot Summary

We Are Called to Rise has multiple first-person narrators, alternating between Avis, a recently divorced mother in her mid-fifties; Roberta, a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for homeless youth; Bashkim, an eight-year-old with Albanian immigrant parents); and Luis, an Army veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The central narrative is told in chronological sequence, but the chapters are written from the perspective of every character, often utilizing flashbacks and memories to contextualize each individual’s complex history.

Avis’s marriage unravels when her husband admits he is leaving her for a younger woman.