Unbroken

This was an incredible book about a fantastic man named Louis Zamperini, an American Olympic runner striving to break the record for the four-minute mile during the 1940s. The war breaks out, the Olympics are cancelled, and Louie is called to serve his country. To say Louie served heroically is an understatement. What follows is a mesmerizing account of his journey from boyhood to POW. Here, the author brings to life the horrors and triumphs of Louie's life in a Japanese POW camp.

Although this is Louie's story, you certainly get a sense of the soldiers' sacrifices while serving our country. It's incredible how these brave men continued to serve and fight during captivity under unbearable circumstances. After reading this book, I felt I better understood the patriotism and camaraderie the soldiers of WWII shared. This is an inspirational story.

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. In her long awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

1. What makes Louis Zamperini's story so inspirational to readers who have never experienced war?

2. How do you define heroism, and does Louie fit your definition?

3. How did Louie's early rebelliousness prepare him for wartime survival?

4. In what ways did Louie's athletic career help him endure the war?

5. How important was Pete's influence on shaping Louie's life and values?

6. Were you surprised by the extreme risks faced by WWII airmen? What details stood out?

7. What are your thoughts on Mac's behavior and transformation?

8. Why are optimism and mindset crucial in times of extreme hardship?

9. Which survival strategies used by Louie and Phil impressed you most?

10. Would you ever consider cannibalism in a life-or-death survival scenario?

11. What is your interpretation of the miracles Louie believed he experienced?

12. Why did POWs risk so much to commit acts of defiance?

13. What motivates cruelty in people, especially in war settings like POW camps?

14. Why was the death of the duck, Gaga, so affecting for Louie?

15. Was the escape plan from Ofuna foolish or psychologically necessary?