The section my book club group had to read was jam-packed with with information and story. The book is based on the story of an Italian boy named Louis Zampernini whose parents immigrated to the U.S. He was always a troublemaker, but eventually it lead his older brother, Pete to coach him in track. Just after the first year, he became the first student from his town to compete in the all-city finals. He continues to enter competitions and becomes a college track star. I think the author, Laura Hillenbrand, is trying to show how his perseverance was intensified through every stage of his life. The preface is a scene from when he was stranded in the middle of the ocean during World War II. They'd been stranded for 27 days and everyone was weak. But Louis makes a daring move to try to save himself when the Japanese bombers attack. Although that story isn't complete yet, we know he has lived to tell it, so his decision to hide underwater pays off. His resilience and bravery started from a young age. Hillenbrand takes us back to the beginning of his story - when he was in grade school - to show us his transformation.
I think that what is making this such a good story so far is that Louis has lived to tell it. Also the character development beginning from an early age is helping me get to know him and the kind of person he is. This allows for the reader to make a connection to him and for me it sparks an interested because I want to keep reading to see how he made it home safe.
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