Unbroken: Read the Book Before you See the Movie

By Hayley Benton |

Soon to be released as a major motion picture on Christmas, the book Unbroken has pulled on the heartstrings of many who have read it.  A New York Times Bestseller for 180 weeks, Unbroken has won multiple Book of the Year Awards.tumblr_n0v3gwfVn91ts7imco2_r1_1280

Even though the book is acclaimed by critics everywhere as the best book of the year, the author, Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit and the Boy in the Boat, never met the subject of her book; Louis Zamperini. However, she did speak with him over the phone. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has kept Hillenbrand from traveling from her home in Washington D.C. and meeting Zamperini in California where he lived.

Published by Random House on Jan. 16, 2011, the 473-paged Non-Fiction book couldn’t have been more of a success. The story is about a young Olympic miler named Louis (Louie) Zamperini, and takes place in the 1930s. It first shows Louis as a young boy and how he would always would be in some sort of trouble. Then he changes his ways and decides to directs his energy to running. He then becomes a bombardier in World War 2 until until his plane is shot down in the Pacific and all but three of the crew perished in the crash. For 47 days they stay afloat on the ocean, drinking water from the rain and eating albatross that they catch and kill and use as bait or food. Their rescue comes in the form of a nightmare though as they are finally found by their enemy in the war, Japan. Louie is then taken to a P.O.W. camp and nearly dies.

Unbroken not only tells the reader about the survival  of a man but teaches how courage and hope and the beauty of never letting yourself down can do remarkable things and light the way ahead. Laura Hillenbrand has outdone herself with this book and it is absolutely worth the read.

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