The other book I read on holiday was Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by the author of Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand. I cannot do the story justice, so I point to the summary:

The inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini–a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louie’s plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time. You’ll cheer for the man who somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity despite the monumental degradations he suffered, and you’ll want to share this book with everyone you know.

If you go to Louie Zamperini’s website you can watch the CBS video on his life – from the Nagano Olympics. We watched it as a family, it is very inspiring. Unfortunately, a lot of the book reminded me of the book Their Darkest Hour, and the stories inside the Japanese prison camps are heart breaking.

Reading this, I simply felt fortunate for the country I live in, a time of peace and for those who sacrificed so much. I also felt sad, because unfortunately theses stories of evil continue on every day in places like the Congo, so far away.