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Book Club Post 3 - 10/29

By the third part of the book, Laura Hillenbrand has finally gone back to preface at the beginning of the story. Louie and some crew members are sent on a rescue mission to search for the missing B-24. Ironically, on this rescue mission the engines on their plane begin failing and they crash in the middle of the ocean.

The author uses vivid language that forces the reader to become emotionally invested with Louie's story, especially because we know it's a true story. Mac, one of the members on the crew, becomes insane. The trauma of the crash causes him to be so distraught and I really felt for him. I was surprised as to how strongly a person can be shaken. However, weeks later, Mac becomes a hero, and he saves Louie's life. Hillenbrand does a great job showing the multiple sides and layers of every character.

After 47 days, they finally see land, but a Japanese boat gets in their way and they become prisoners of war. The fact that Louie survives under all if the extreme circumstances is a miracle. The odds were never in his favor. The author's description of the torture they endured is historically accurate and intense. Hillenbrand mention the "Night of a Thousand Suicides." In the Japanese culture, people believed that becoming a prisoner of war would bring shame to family, and a family's dignity is above all.

Book Club Post 2 - 10/15

The story has been fascinating so far. During our group's discussion last week we wondered how Laura Hillenbrand found out about Louie Zamperini because he was much older. Hillenbrand had been writing a story about a Depression-era race horse and she was reading a 1938 clipping about a horse when she happened to turn it around. It was a profile on Louie Zamperini. She heard about him again later on and decided to send him a letter. He replied and told her his story and that's how it came about. We have already read nearly 200 pages of the book and the amount of research she conducted is unbelievable. At times, just one paragraph holds ten stories.There are so many details and she manages to make it really easy to follow. Louie's character shines through and I can't wait to finish reading the book.

Book Club Post 1 - 10/8

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.

Reading Reflection 9/29

I always thought that the more quotes you use, the livelier the story would be. However, you have to be careful not to overpower your own writing. The story about the Colombian at Walmart showed me just that. Using less quotes makes the quotes you do use even more powerful. Dialogue keeps readers interested and so do details. The smallest details can complete a story and give the reader a fuller experience. I have also decided to write my story in chronological order because that's how most stories are told and heard. One thing I learned about this is that certain time periods can be sped up or slowed down. That was very helpful because after conducting my interview, I felt like I knew more about my interviewee's youth.

Initial Thoughts for Book Club

Our group will be reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. At first I was worried because I didn't want to read a bunch of war stories, but after reading the summary and finding out that Louis Zamperini, the main character, went to the Berlin Olympics I was so excited. Olympians always have the most interesting and inspiring stories. As a child, I watched the Olympics with my family every two years. As I got older, I wanted to know what they did after they won and how their lives changed. I've read a few biographies and follow many of them on different social media sites. 

In this story, Louis becomes an airman and he manages to survive a plane crash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The summary alone left me hungry for more and I can't wait to read this book. The book also has excellent reviews.

This book is actually going to be a major motion picture, directed by Angelina Jolie. It's coming out this Christmas. Here's the trailer, if you'd like to take a look. 

Zepps Last Standing

This story was filled with flashbacks of Ed Zepp's life which gave us a more complete overview about his life. A first, the story didn't grab my attention, but as I kept reading I became more interested. Madeleine Blais's vivid description of Zepp portrayed him as a very old, tired man. Through his actions and the dialogue, we see that he had a set of principles and values that he lived for. He would never let anyone tell him otherwise. He consciously used his values to make decisions all throughout his life. That's what made me like Zepp. The way he defied people, even his superiors, when standing up for what he believed in showed a lot of strength.

Blais connected the stories together in a way that allowed the piece to flow. His character was conveyed through his dialogue. We were able to see how much he loved his wife and how much his honor meant to him. I love how she ended the story with a strong quote. It summed up his personality in a remarkable way.