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. Though Avis has overcome a childhood of poverty and neglect and to become a loving mother and wife, she must scramble to redefine herself in a rapidly changing family dynamic. Meanwhile, her son, Nate, has returned from Iraq and is struggling to adjust to civilian life. Avis discovers he abuses his wife, Lauren, and grows concerned that he lacks the family support needed to control his aggression. When Nate becomes a Las Vegas police officer, her worries and fears increase.

Luis is a former soldier who is recovering in a hospital after an attempted suicide. Luis is unable to deal with the death of his best friend in war and is angry at himself for having killed an Iraqi boy he thought was carrying a bomb. Though he struggles with depression and PTSD, Luis is loving towards his abuela, who raised him after his parents left him at a young age. As Luis attempts to piece together fragments of his memory, he learns that he wrote a letter to a pen pal in Nevada—a young boy named Bashkim. He eventually returns to Las Vegas and lives with his abuela, who takes care of him as he heals mentally and physically.

Bashkim’s family is Albanian, and even though his father (Baba) is angry and abusive, having been a political prisoner in his native country, Bashkim has a tight bond with his mother (Nene) and younger sister (Tirana). He is a well-behaved and mature third grader whose teachers praise his love of learning, but since his family is poor, he doesn’t have an ordinary American childhood and often helps his family run their ice cream truck. Bashkim develops an unlikely relationship with Luis during a school project that involves corresponding with soldiers, but he is shocked when Luis writes about killing and being killed. Luis later regrets his harsh letter and wants to make things right, so he asks for Bashkim’s forgiveness, and they write each other frequently, helping each other cope with difficult circumstances.

Roberta is a dedicated caseworker who serves Las Vegas’s most vulnerable homeless youth, often maintaining her relationships with those she has helped. She works tirelessly to support those who would otherwise be mistreated and overlooked within an imperfect judicial system. Despite being a wealthy woman who grew up lavishly, she refuses to abuse her privilege and goes out of her way to take on the most challenging cases.

Everyone’s worlds collide when Bashkim’s mother is killed by a rookie police officer—Avis’s son, Nate—during a routine traffic stop that escalates. Bashkim’s family is separated, and Bashkim is forced to live in a foster home on his own, while his father is deemed psychologically unfit for raising two children. Roberta hears about the story and does everything in her power to get involved. She talks to everyone in order to find the best possible outcome for Bashkim’s family. Roberta learns about Bashkim’s relationship with Luis, but when she goes to speak with him about Bashkim, Luis is in a depressive anger, so Roberta speaks with his abuela instead. They determine a potential solution to resolve the family’s tragedy.

The story concludes in a courtroom in which the judge grants partial custody to Luis’s grandmother and to Bashkim’s father while he works toward self-improvement. Though Nate is found not guilty, Avis is determined to help her son and tells the police chief that he is not fit for the department. Bashkim is glad to be reunited with his younger sister and knows that his mother would be happy he could still look after her.