Three lives are bound together by a split-second mistake, and a child’s fate hangs in the balance. What happens next will test—and restore—your faith in humanity.

Narrated by an immigrant child caught in a terrible crisis, a middle-aged woman struggling with a son she suspects of being dangerous, and a young soldier navigating the ways the Iraq War has changed him, We Are Called to Rise offers a suspenseful, lyrical story about what it means to rise.

A #1 IndieNext pick and a Barnes&Noble Discover selection, We Are Called to Rise has been a popular choice for One Book and First Year Experience programs nationwide.

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“Stirring…pitch-perfect…a universal story about the messy wonders of community.”

– Entertainment Weekly

“A tour de force of imagination that packs a wallop…immensely moving…without question, McBride is a truly commanding literary presence.

– Booklist

“Your heart will break…then soar.”

– Redbook

“Rarely does a novel reach into my soul and leave me sobbing, but WE ARE CALLED TO RISE did just that with its beautifully drawn characters, true-to-life plot, and such exquisite writing that it’s hard to believe that this is Laura McBride’s first book….a graceful portrait of our time.”

– Minneapolis Star Tribune

“McBride has written an urgent morality tale for our times in the form of this poignant and gripping debut.”

We Are Called To Rise