Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I have been remiss in reviewing this title.  It's been several years since it was first published.  Better late than never.....

This was a very difficult read from the standpoint of the descriptions the author used to tell the story. The scenarios were essential to this body of work and made it a story this reviewer will never forget and I imagine few others will.

This is the story of an Olympic track star who becomes a pilot during WWII.  His plane crashes and he is adrift on the ocean with two other survivors of the crash.  Subsequently, he is imprisoned by the Japanese and subjected to reprehensible treatment at their hands.  Eventually he returns home but not without the scars of war.

The fact that Louis Zamperini could withstand the cruel conditions and torture he sustained during the war is a testament to the power of the human spirit.  He is also representative of the countless others who faced similar circumstances but did not receive the acclaim attributed to Mr. Zamperini.

This book should serve as a starting point for young people who study historical events that have led to what America is today.  As a young person I was not aware of any of the inhuman treatment that our soldierss faced in WWII. Perhaps if history was studied by addressing current events and backtracked from there, our young people would have a better understanding of the sacrifices others have made for their freedom and give them a more thankful perspective.

This story has quite a bit to convey.  It took me several sittings to read, primarily because I wanted to understand the feelings of a remarkable man and how he managed to move forward in his life, in spite of what happened to him.

In praying for peace, let us also hope and pray that current and future prisoners of war will not have to endure unspeakable torture.  I suspect that if man were kinder to his fellow man, we would have
lasting peace throughout our world and war would no longer be.

Ladybookbug!