Unbroken

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am reluctant to admit how little I have read this year. It's a combination of shifting priorities, decreasing attention span, and perhaps less-than-ideal book choices. As this year was closing out, I finally delved into Unbroken and found everything I need and want in a book. It is, without question, the best book I read in 2014 and a book that I would recommend to anyone (a rarity with my usual choices). It is compelling and a story that focuses in on the triumph of the human soul - it is honest, unflinching, and careful. Hillenbrand is one of the best chroniclers of her time - she captures things so vividly that even pictures or film cannot overshadow the narrative she tells.

Louie is a new hero - not because he was extraordinarily good or even because he was an Olympic athlete. I admire him because he endured to the end and he enabled others to do the same. I love people who are not content to accept the status quo. They make me want to aspire for more. Hillenbrand does the same for me. She is a woman with difficult challenges in her personal life, but she still works so hard at her craft. After reading this book, how can I not try to be at least a little bit better?!

Happy 2015 and happy reading!