A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER How We Learn to Be Brave is an inspirational guide to the key
junctures in life that if navigated with faith and discernment pave the way for us to become
our most courageous selves by the bishop of the famed Episcopal Diocese of Washington D.C.
On January 21 2025 many Americans were introduced to Bishop Mariann Budde thanks to what The
New York Times called “an extraordinary act of public resistance.” During her prayer service
for Donald J. Trump’s second inauguration Bishop Budde addressed the president directly
imploring him “to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now ” from those who
are part of the LGBTQ+ community to immigrants and refugees. But for Bishop Budde this moment
was the culmination of a lifetime spent thinking about those pivot points when we’re called on
to push past our fears and act with strength. With How We Learn to Be Brave she teaches us
that being brave is not a singular occurrence it’s a journey that we can choose to undertake
every day. Here Bishop Budde explores the full range of decisive moments from the most
visible and dramatic (the decision to go) to the internal and personal (the decision to stay)
to brave choices made with an eye toward the future (the decision to start) those born of
suffering (the decision to accept that which we did not choose) and those that come
unexpectedly (the decision to step up to the plate). Drawing on examples ranging from Harry
Potter to the Gospel According to Luke she seamlessly weaves together personal experiences
with stories from scripture history and pop culture to underscore both the universality of
these moments and the particular call each one of us must heed when they arrive. With Bishop
Budde’s wisdom readers will learn to live and to respond according to their true beliefs and
in ways that align with their best selves. How We Learn to Be Brave will provide much-needed
fortitude and insight to anyone searching for answers in uncertain times.
