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

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand
Random House Audio, 2010

There are some books that you can tell will stick in your mind for a long, long time even before you finish reading them. Unbroken is one of those books for me. Unbroken was my choice for ‘a biography or memoir’ for the 2018 reading challenge, and oh boy, was it a great choice! I was immediately enthralled by the story of Louis Zamperini, Olympic athlete, World War II veteran, and survivor of many harrowing war experiences. Even though this is a biography, it read more like a novel. We begin by following Louis through a troubled childhood, setting the scene for the kind of character and spirit he will need to be a world class runner, and later see him through 47 days adrift at sea and years of abuse in Japanese POW camps.

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There are two main take aways that I acquired from this book. First is the power of the mind over the body. I was completely blown away by the descriptions of Louis and others he served with enduring far more than they physically should have been able to withstand because of their mental grit and determination to survive. It’s truly amazing how far a physical body can be pushed when the owner of the body also possesses hope, and how quickly it can decline when hope, dignity, and humanity are lost.

The second thing I learned is that a Japanese POW camp is the absolute last place on earth that a WWII soldier would ever wish to be. This caught me off guard. When I think of cruelty during WWII my mind immediately goes to Hitler and the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. But, as I learned from this book, the Japanese could be unbelievably cruel and the prisoners in their camps were treated abominably. The ways that the soldiers were abused and degraded was astonishing, making the fact that Louis and several friends survived years of such treatment all the more remarkable.

I actually listened to this book on audio, and I would definitely recommend this format. This narrator, Edward Herrman, really does an excellent job bringing the story to life. I do have to offer the disclaimer that there is a little language in some of the quotations, and the depictions of the time Louis spent as a POW can be graphic, so if you choose to go the audio route and have little kids, have your earbuds ready.

I could go on and on about the merits of Unbroken, all the fascinating details and astounding stories contained therein. But the summary is that I adored this real-life tale of ‘survival, resilience, and redemption’. The threads of faith, friendship, and forgiveness woven throughout are heartwarming, and the hopeful rebellion against all opposition will have you cheering. It is truly an inspiring read and I am all but certain it will be a front runner for my top ten books of 2018 list at the end of the year.

Do you like biographies? I haven’t read one in a while, but I’ll be looking for more now!