TONY COVINO | STAFF WRITER

The story Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is about courage and perseverance during World War II. It is written from the point of view of a man named Louis Zamperini, who is a bombardier in the U.S Air Force. Before Louis was a bombardier, he was a world renowned athlete who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and set a record for the fastest lap in a 5,000 meter race. During Louis’s time in the U.S  Air Force, disaster quickly strikes as he becomes stranded in the ocean with two other men. This is the beginning of Louis’s fight for survival and this is where he is tested.

After spending 47 days out in the ocean, he finally makes it to land with his partner. He is found by the Japanese,  captured, and put into several POW camps where he is tortured and beaten every day. Louis endures two and a half years of this treatment, but it finally ends after the war.

Unbroken is a great example of what it means to be courageous and never give up. Telling it from Louis Zamperini’s perspective also helps because he goes from fighting a war in Japan to fighting addiction back home. The story represents what it means to be a hero, and why you should never give up. I really enjoyed reading this book over the course of the past couple of months, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to read.