First published 2003
Louis Zamperini transforms from juvenile delinquent to Olympic miler to World War II bombardier before his B-24 crashes into the Pacific on May 27, 1943. He and two crewmates cling to a life raft for forty-seven days, surviving on shark livers, raw albatross, and rainwater while circled by sharks. When they finally spot land, Japanese forces capture them immediately. Zamperini endures over two years of torture, medical experiments, starvation, and slave labor in prison camps. A sadistic guard nicknamed the Bird singles him out for especially brutal treatment that even other guards fear. Back home, the Army declares him dead and Roosevelt sends condolences to his family. Zamperini survives and returns to America as a celebrated hero, but the homecoming brings new battles. He descends into alcoholism and rage while the Bird haunts his nightmares. Only through his wife's love and newfound faith does he finally conquer the demons of war and discover the healing power of forgiveness.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, adventure, world-war-ii, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, redemption
Setting: Pacific Ocean, Japan
Period: 1940s
292 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: abuse, physical-abuse, torture