donnaburtwistle 's review for:

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

5.0

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It has been a long time since I've read a non-fiction option that I was engrossed in as much as this book. I listened to this book; read by Edgar Hermann--amazing. This story begins with an introduction to the main character, Louis Zamperini. His childhood and upbringing in Torrence, California is detailed with humour and wonder as he is introduced to the sport of running. He is so accomplished that he becomes a part of the US team at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Louis then enlists in the US Air Force and heads to the Pacific theater. When his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean, he and two other pilots manage to survive for almost 50 days in two rafts amidst dreadful hunger, thirst, sharks and attacks by Japanese planes. When they are finally captured by the Japanese, Louis is tested once again as he endures almost two years in POW camps. This book was simply incredible--Lauren Hillenbrand's writing is absolutely phenomenal. Every word choice--verb, adjective--is chosen with great care to produce an absolutely compelling book that I highly recommend.