I have never been a nonfiction novel fan, but when I happened to stumble across the theatrical trailer for the upcoming film “Unbroken,” my interest was most definitely piqued. Through some research I found that the film was based off of the novel “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,” written by Laura Hillenbrand. I tend to avoid novels with war-like settings and backgrounds, but I figured I would give “Unbroken” a chance.

“Unbroken” is a biography of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian and a World War II hero. The novel begins with the early life of Zamperini, describing his early childhood and teenage years.

Zamperini is described throughout the whole novel as a “troublemaker” who is always causing mischief, though he normally avoided getting caught causing trouble due to his ability to speedily flee the scene. Zamperini’s older brother, Pete, took notice of his younger brother’s running speed and suggested he try running for his high school track team as an outlet for his mischievous tendencies.

He ran long-distance races and easily beat competitors at the high school level. The young track star began competing in larger meets outside of California, running against some of the best runners in the country.

Eventually Zamperini made it to the Olympic trials, and ultimately made the 1936 Olympic team. Although he did not win the 5000-meter race at the Olympics, he set a record pace for his final lap, clocking in at less than one minute.

The novel continues with Zamperini’s life after the Olympics when he enlists in the United States Army Air Forces in 1941. Zamperini was a bombardier stationed in Hawaii, and Hillenbrand dedicates a number of pages to describe Zamperini’s army life including profiles on his comrades, descriptions of his daily activities and recounts of memorable (often comical) stories.

Eventually, the reader is brought to the first of many struggles Zamperini will face in the war. As Zamperini and his crew are conducting a search for lost aircraft and crew members, their plane experiences mechanical difficulties, causing the aircraft to crash into the ocean. Most of the crew members perish, except for Zamperini and two other airmen.

The three survivors must manage to stay alive on an inflatable raft with no food or water. They use buckets to capture fresh water from the rare rain showers, and use their very limited resources to attempt to catch fish in the ocean. Along with fighting off starvation and dehydration, the three men must also fight off bold, violent shark attacks and Japanese strafing. One of the men, Mac, dies after 33 days, while Zamperini and his closest friend Phil, manage to survive on the raft for 47 days until they drift ashore onto the Marshall Islands and are eventually captured by the Japanese Navy.

Zamperini and Phil spend the next two years of their lives being shuttled between different POW camps in Japan.

Zamperini experiences mistreatment and thousands of beatings at the mercy of the POW officers. Zamperini endures this torment until the war ends and the POW’s are liberated. After Zamperini receives medical treatment for his multiple injuries and illnesses, takes time to recover and regain his strength, and flies back to the United States, he is finally reunited with his family.

The novel wraps up with Zamperini’s post-war life. Like many war veterans, Zamperini suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. He uses alcohol as a coping mechanism, and also becomes very angry. He finds a positive light in his life when he meets Cynthia Applewhite, whom he falls in love with and marries. Cynthia and Zamperini struggle through their marriage, as Zamperini is still plagued with memories of the war. Cynthia convinces Zamperini to turn to God for help, and Zamperini begins to turn his life around.

“Unbroken,” is beautifully written, and Hillenbrand pays keen attention to detail which is what makes this unbelievable story come alive. This story can appeal to many audiences, sports enthusiasts, World War II gurus, and those with a strong faith.

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