Welcome to October! It’s book review time, and I’m again reviewing the book of the month for the Pink Fibro Book Club, hosted by Allison Tait on facebook.
This month, it’s We are Called to Rise by Laura McBride.
In the predawn hours, a woman’s marriage crumbles with a single confession. Across town, an immigrant family struggles to get by in the land of opportunity. Three thousand miles away, a soldier wakes up in hospital with a vague feeling he’s done something awful. In a single moment, these disparate lives intersect. Faced with seemingly insurmountable loss, each person must decide whether to give in to despair, or to find the courage and resilience to rise.
But the stories are compelling and the writing beautiful. Whatever my feelings about the ending, when I closed this book for the last time, I couldn’t help but be glad that I’d read it.
Next we hear from Bashkim, the child whose fate will be determined by the stories unfolding. And, further into the book, we discover Luis, as he comes to in a hospital, and comes to the realisation he’s done something awful.
Often in books told from different viewpoints, the voices start to sound similar and you forget who’s narrating. Roberta and Avis become more difficult to distinguish between as the book progresses, but I always knew when I was hearing the thoughts of Bashkim or Luis. I found their voices mesmerising.
There are other things I want to say about this book. But I don’t do spoilers. You can find reviews with spoilers if you’re into that (or you can come on over to the facebook discussion where we usually go into more detail). But I’ll just say that even though I saw the ‘single moment’ in which ‘these disparate lives intersect’ coming, it didn’t diminish the impact at all.
It is powerful. It hurts.
And I cried.
- I like the way Mr. Ernie talks, and I like the way Mrs. Monaghan talks, but I think it’s funny how grown-ups speak with their accents at school. At home I speak Albanian, or sometimes American that sounds Albanian, but at school I just speak regular American.
- If we left this house, then the few memories we had, the trailing decrescendo of images left to us, might be gone altogether.
- But failing isn’t proof that nothing matters or that we were fools to care. We fail even though things matter very much; it’s the possibility of failure that makes them matter even more.
- I’ve been practicing in my mind, trying to find some words, but they’ve all been taken, all used for ordinary considerations that mean nothing in comparison to what he has meant.
- And when the street is dark, when not a single car passes me for minutes on end, I turn and I walk my crooked uncoordinated brain-fucked-up walk back to the house I grew up in – the one with the big rock in front.
Last month, after reading Big Little Lies, I was relieved that I didn’t have star-rating for books. I wrote, ‘When I finished Big Little Lies, I would have recommended it. Now I’ve sat with the book for a week or so, I’m not sure. I think it depends on how real you want your characters to be.’
I almost feel the opposite about this book. When I finished it, the (few) disappointments were all I could think about. Now that I’ve sat with the book for a week, it’s the strength and beauty of the other parts of the book that have stayed with me.
Capital L-O-V-E.
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Have you read We are Called to Rise? What did you think?
Previous book reviews:
Big Little Lies
The Best Feeling of All and Your Best Year Yet
The Headmaster’s Wife (my guest post at Allison Tait‘s blog)
The Night Guest
The Thirteenth Tale
The Shadow Year and Barracuda
The Paris Wife
Mister Pip and The Light Between Oceans
Big Brother and We Need to Talk About Kevin
The Shining Girls and The Fault in Our Stars
Ohh that sounds like a good book. I need something I can really sink my teeth into. I’ve been reading Jack Reacher stuff and while they are decent stories, they really are just fluff. I was thinking about rereading Gone Girl after seeing it at the movies, but I’m not sure my brain can handle it lol.
I can’t read the Reacher books now. Tom Cruise ruined them. I didn’t even watch the movie, just KNOWING that they cast Tom Cruise ruined them for me!
I have been drawn to this books cover! It’s strong so it’s nice to read a real run down about what it actually is. I like a book that makes me cry! It obviously has big impact!
It certainly does! Have you read it now?
Thanks for this Em. I haven’t been keeping up with book club, but I have a long plane journey coming up so I need a good book – if junior lets me get any reading done that is.
I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts if you get to this one!
I loved this book! It’s been one of my favourite reads this year. Hope you don’t mind me leaving a link, but thought you might be interested in what I wrote about it. I’ve just finished The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker which was fabulous too. I think you would like it if you enjoyed We are called to Rise.
I don’t mind you leaving a link – but you forgot the link! Please come back and leave it!! Thanks for the recommendation.
Oh! IT sounds good! I’ve added it to my ever-growing reading list. 🙂
The list grows too fast, doesn’t it. One comes off the list, ten go on.
OK, so another on my must-read list. Thanks Em 🙂
You’re welcome! Enjoy.
Oooh, this sounds like a good one. I’m always fascinated how life can turn in a second and how we cope. Thank you x
Those good ol’ sliding doors, huh?!
I love stories that are told by different characters within the same cover. I shall put this on my list of summer reads. xx
I don’t always like the different viewpoints style of book, but McBride does it extremely well.
I’m not a fan of star ratings either. I do it on Goodreads, but I’m probably overly generous cos it seems so reductive to just say 3/5! This book sounds intriguing. Some of the lines you’ve cited are really evocative. Thanks for sharing it 🙂
Pleasure! And yes, curse those star ratings. I tend to judge based on would I recommend it or not. So this one gets a tick!
Interesting review, Em. I was actually more interested in what you have to say about “Big Little Lies”. There was a feature on the author in last week’s Who Magazine and it looks like they’re making it into a movie. I read “The Husband’s Secret” and couldn’t put it down. Maybe I’ll just skip it then and go straight to We Are Called To Rise. After I finish Gone Girl, of course!
For all that I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Big Little Lies, I think it will make a fantastic movie. So I’m glad to hear that. I might have to put The Husband’s Secret on the list – everyone says it’s Moriarty’s best.
I’m so getting stuck into this one. I love your reviews, Em. I tend to be months behind in Book Club, but I’m short listing based on what you have to say! x
That’s so lovely! Best praise ever. Thanks Bron.
I’m so putting this one on my list. I love your reviews, Em. I am months behind in book club, but I am short listing based on what you have to say! x
A very passionate review, you’ve convinced me that it should be read! I might have to add this to my ever-growing TBR list.
This is the list that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends…
This sounds intriguing, I am going to add it to my TBR list. I’m about to finish the Wool trilogy, and I have a Diana Gabaldon one to start but I’m not sure I’m ready for it yet. This may be what I’m looking for.
Thanks for linking up x