Unbroken
I picked up Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand mainly because I have an interest in World War II. I enjoyed the book for much more than that.
Unbroken is the story of Louie Zamperini, an olympic athlete who eventually became a POW in Japan. It starts with Louie’s struggles as a child and the intervention of his brother Pete to help him find his way. This led to a career in running which eventually brought Louie to the Berlin Olympics.
Louie joined the army air force and fought in the pacific theatre. His bomber was shot down, leaving Louie and two others lost in the pacific ocean, only to be “rescued” by the Japanese. Much of the story is about his experiences in the Japanese camps and the abuse he suffered.
If you have seen the Unbroken movie, don’t pass up on the book because you think you know the story. There is much that was left out of the movie that is worth reading. For example, there is quite a bit that took place after the liberation of the POW camps. The book continues with Louie’s struggle with PTSD and his eventual conversion to Christianity at a Billy Graham Crusade.
I absolutely loved this book. Hillenbrand does a fantastic job of expressing the emotions of the people involved. I was really drawn into the story and always wanted to know what would happen next. I have no idea about Hillenbrand’s religious background, but she is extremely positive in her presentation of Christian faith.
Is this a Christian book? It is a book about the life of a person who happens to become a Christian. There is some (but not a lot) swearing in the book but the Gospel is also presented in such a way that a person could understand how to become a Christian. The book defies categories and is just a really fantastic story.
I highly recommend that you read Unbroken. If you are going to see the movie, watch the movie first and then read the book.
You can get Unbroken from Amazon here: (USA) (Canada).
