Unbroken

I have decided to write about what I have read.  My students have to write daily in a reader's response journal.  It made me realize I never write about what I read.  So here is the first book I have finished in 2012.  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is an incredible story.  It is not the kind of book I would normally pick up.  It was a book club pick and I'm so glad it was picked.  

It's the story of a man named Louie Zamperini who was an Olympic runner in the 1930's.  Shortly after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and Louie becomes a World War II bombardier.  His plane ends up going down in the Pacific and he survives with two others.  Through many days of nothing to eat, getting burned by the sun, freezing through the night, and being hunted by sharks Louie survives.  He ends up as a prisoner of the Japanese and spends time in POW camps.  He is tortured by the guards but one specifically nicknamed "the Bird".  He survives to the end of the war and is released from his camp and eventually sent home.  He struggles to shake the power that "the Bird" has over him and is plagued by nightmares.  So he turns to drinking and lots of it.  I don't want to give the whole rest of the story away.  

As I read this story I just couldn't stop thinking all that he survived and his will to live.  I don't think there are many people who would have the same spirit of survival.  He and many men liked him faced some of the worst things a human could do to another human.  It is amazing to see what war does to someone.  How they can justify their horrific treatment of other people.  It's also interesting to consider that throughout history there are culture that are taught to believe that they are superior to all others.  What is it in our human spirit that causes this?  It was nearly impossible to comprehend some of the things that were done to the POW's in the Japanese camps.  So many died.  It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for what our service men and women go through to defend our freedoms.  I will never be able to fully grasp how awful war is and I have thousands of brave soldiers to thank for that.   

This is a fantastic story of redemption and how God can turn a life around in a heartbeat.  If God is able to give Louie the heart to forgive his tormentor how can I with hold my forgiveness from anyone?  I would recommend this book to every one.  There were a few sections I struggled to get through because I couldn't really connect to the information she was giving me.  There are some parts with lots of facts and figures.  Skim over those if don't enjoy that.  It won't change the story for you.  I'm going to leave you with my favorite quote from the book.  "The paradox of vengefulness is that if makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when they make their tormentors suffer.  In seeking the Bird's death to free himself, Louie had chained himself, once again, to his tyrant.  During the war, the Bird had been unwilling to let go of Louie; after the war, Louie was unable to let go of the Bird."  Seriously go read this book.  

Happy reading friends,
Molly

Oh on a totally different note.  I downloaded Kari Jobe's new album.  It's great, you should check it out.