The Rising

Murder, Heartbreak, and the Power of Human Resilience in an American Town

By: Ryan D'Agostino

Narrated by: Ryan D'Agostino

The astonishing story of one man’s recovery in the face of traumatic loss—and a powerful meditation on the resilience of the soul

On July 23, 2007, Dr. William Petit suffered an unimaginable horror: Armed strangers broke into his suburban Connecticut home in the middle of the night, bludgeoned him nearly to death, tortured and killed his wife and two daughters, and set their house on fire. He miraculously survived, and yet living through those horrific hours was only the beginning of his ordeal. Broken and defeated, Bill was forced to confront a question of ultimate consequence: How does a person find the strength to start over and live again after confronting the darkest of nightmares?

In The Rising, acclaimed journalist Ryan D’Agostino takes us into Bill Petit’s world, using unprecedented access to Bill and his family and friends to craft a startling, inspiring portrait of human strength and endurance. To understand what produces a man capable of surviving the worst, D’Agostino digs deep into Bill’s all-American upbringing, and in the process tells a remarkable story of not just a man’s life, but of a community’s power to shape that life through its embrace of loyalty and self-sacrifice as its most important values. Following Bill through the hardest days—through the desperate times in the aftermath of the attack and the harrowing trials of the two men responsible for it—The Rising offers hope that we can find a way back to ourselves, even when all seems lost.

Today, Bill Petit has remarried. He and his wife have a baby boy. The very existence of this new family defies rational expectation, and yet it confirms our persistent, if often unspoken, belief that we are greater than what befalls us, and that if we know where to look for strength in trying times, we will always find it. Bill’s story, told as never before in The Rising, is by turns compelling and uplifting, an affirmation of the inexhaustible power of the human spirit.

©2015 Ryan D'Agostino (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Though D’Agostino is unflinching in his reporting—covering both the crime and the trials in devastating detail—The Rising is above all a compassionate and thought-provoking look at the outer limits of human resilience.” –Esquire

“Through incredible reporting and excellent storytelling, D'Agostino tries to answer the question of how, after losing everything, you go on with your life. A natural comparison could be made to Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, but The Rising is even more heartrending—and unexpectedly uplifting.” –GQ

“A thought-provoking, insightful and highly compelling read.” –Associated Press

Interesting.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Rising to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator had too much of a staccato voice, I did not enjoy the performance but the content was very interesting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

I was interested in hearing the whole story of the crime. I would have been interested in more details of what happened in the house, but I did like hearing about the Petit foundation and its good work.

The Rising

I have been following this story ever since it happened in 2007. It is a true story. It is a sad story of an American family torn apart by two men out to rob them of whatever they had.

You won't be able to stop listening

This story is well written, heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. I loved the author's delivery.

Heartbreaking.

Not your average true crime format. I love any attempt at bending stuffy literary rules. Barely even mentions the killers. Which in and of itself is remarkable.
I rarely cry with audio books. Physically holding a book and reading? Yeah, grab the tissues. Not so much when read to me.
This audiobook, I cried. Several times. I still tear up thinking about this amazing father taking his inquisitive daughter with him on his rounds as a doctor. The story needed to be told. And I am grateful that D'Agostino did, and gave it the deference it deserves.