I finished the book Unbroken – A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption today with tears streaming down my face.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is a gut wrenching biography / memoir of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympian who was drafted during World War II. After a series of “lucky to still be alive” events, Louis finds himself captured as a POW in Japan. Suffering unmentionable torture and abuse, Louis’ story brings light to the treatment of POW’s in Japan in a way I have never comprehended.
This is a heavy, heart wrenching book… it was difficult to get through yet extremely hard to put down. To sum up my feelings of this book, I think what I put on Twitter immediately after finishing it best conveys my feelings.
Unbroken is more than a war story… it is a book about persevering, faith, and forgiveness.
I will live my life differently, with a much deeper respect for the Veterans of the past and the present, thanks to this book. I highly recommend this book to all of you.
Up next…Fragile by Lisa Unger
What book have you read lately that you’d recommend?
Let’s connect on Goodreads to share book recommendations with each other!
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Well, if it moved you I know it will move me! Thanks for the stellar recommendation!
Let me know if you read it!
I just read The Hunger Games and Room and now I’m reading The Help. All good books!
There is another book called Unbroken Will about a WWII man in Germany in the holocaust. EXCELLENT book and I recommend it!
The Hunger Games, Room and The Help are all books I read last year and truly enjoyed. The Help is up on the list as one of my faves! Room? I couldn’t put down at all and ignored life completely to get it read!
I will definitley check out the other Unbroken book. Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Wasn’t Unbroken just amazing?????
I’m trying to get through We Need to Talk About Adam …. kind of a struggle. Kind of deep …
Absolutely and completely amazing.
I started We Need to Talk About Kevin a few years ago and never got through it, but I’ve heard such great things about it. Let me know if you end up finishing it… if you do, I’ll pick it up again and give it a try!
Sean absolutely loved Unbroken. I wish that I could say that I read as much as the two of you. I am more of a summer-time reading gal. You are inspiring me to try to find more time during the fall, spring, and winter, too.
It usually takes me a lot longer to get through a book… I tend to fall asleep no matter how much I like the book. This weekend, I happened to have 10 hours in the car which gave me some extra reading time. Otherwise, it would have taken me a lot longer!
We read Unbroken for our book club several months ago and simply loved it. Most recently we read the newest Stephen K ing book – “11/22/63” and loved it. Never read one of his novels before. Currently read “The Mariage Plot”. Will have to check out your next selection. Have a good week ahead.
11/22/63 was the book I read the week prior and loved it so much too (It was my first of his novels too).
I have The Marriage Plot in my to be read pile. I’d love to know how you like it when you are finished.
Thanks
Kristen
I love these book posts – I have been re-motivated to read more, even if it means falling asleep with a book in my hands at night! I’ve had both of these books on my “to read” list. Now I can’t wait to read Unbroken! I’m currently reading Magic Hour by Kristen Hannah, and I’m loving it so far!
I’m so glad to hear that! I am often times only getting 1-2 pages down before I’m asleep, no matter how awesome the book is!
I love Kristen Hannah books… I’ll have to check out Magic Hour. Thanks
I read the Hunger Games Trilogy…which was great. Yes, it’s a young adults novel, but so good. I also suggest, Wild Swans; it’s by Jung Chang. It’s a true story about three generations, all women, in China–starting with Japanese and Russians invading China to current China. Beautifully written and you get a whole new perspective of who Mao really was, and what horrible things he did to that country.
I think I’ve already mentioned on your last “recommend a book!” post that the novel Winter’s Bone (Daniel Woodrell), on which the amazing movie of the same title was based, is excellent – lyrical and haunting and tense – so I’ll recommend one of my favourites of all time instead. It’s not my #1 favourite because that is so nerdy it isn’t for all audiences, but when I bought a copy for my grandma she said it was the first book ever that she honestly couldn’t put down. But don’t think that means it’s a book for grandmothers! It’s The Piano Man’s Daughter by Timothy Findley. Love, insanity, scandal, and fire. What is not to love?
So well written I could not put it down. I grew up during that war and went to movies where every movie had news reels of the war. My relatives use to go to the movies to see the war reels to find their relatives fighting overseas. . The cruellity I will never understand. What brave men and women and When will we learn war only hurts.
Finished it about a year ago and cried through the whole thing! Overwhelmingly incredible and wrenching….we have no idea what we can handle until we are through it!