In a similar fashion to books such as Girl, Woman, Other and There There, this book feels like a collection of short stories with protagonists so closely knit that they bleed into each other’s narratives. I loved that there were lots of different stories to follow – it kept the book interesting and me turning the page.
We Are Called to Rise explores many aspects of the human condition as well as the immigrant experience in the USA, domestic life, homelessness, love, and violence meaning the narrative as a whole piece feels both volatile and profoundly beautiful. I loved the imperfection of it all and very much look forward to reading more from Laura McBride!
We Are Called to Rise explores many aspects of the human condition as well as the immigrant experience in the USA, domestic life, homelessness, love, and violence meaning the narrative as a whole piece feels both volatile and profoundly beautiful. I loved the imperfection of it all and very much look forward to reading more from Laura McBride!
It goes without saying that the title of this book is stunning (I’m a sucker for a good book title!). What’s very rewarding though is that it’s an indicator for the content within. The stories in this book are beautiful and it’s hard not to be moved by at least one element of the imperfect stories our protagonists are telling. Rather than having a traditional beginning, middle, and end, this book feels like a snapshot of its characters as we start the book in medias res and very much end it in the same way, giving it a raw, unfinished feel.
“And in the length of time measured by infinity, and in the size of a world measured by countless universes, is it possible to believe our lives are anything more than a few blades of grass?”
Review overview
CHARACTERS9
QUOTABILITY8
Summary
Title: We Are Called to Rise
Author: Laura McBride
Type: Fiction
Published: 2014
Pages: 379
TW: War, Death, Infidelity, Domestic Abuse, Police Brutality
