Unbroken

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

• Genre: Nonfiction; biography; war history
• Originally Published: 2010
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1010L; college/adult
• Structure/Length: Approximately 528 pages; audiobook length approximately 13 hours and 56 minutes
• Central Concern: The book chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic track star, who served as an airman in World War II. After his bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, he and two other crew members drifted on a raft for over a month, covering thousands of miles, only to be captured by the Japanese navy and subjected to brutal treatment as prisoners of war. The story is a testament to human resilience, endurance, and the indomitable spirit in the face of immense adversity.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Graphic descriptions of wartime violence; depictions of torture, starvation, and abuse in prisoner-of-war camps; post-traumatic stress and the psychological aftermath of war; occasional inclusion of derogatory or offensive language related to mental health problems and Japanese people

Laura Hillenbrand, Author

• Bio: Born 1967; American author and journalist; known for her impeccable research and detailed historical narratives; suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome, which affected her work process but also drove her to explore stories of human endurance
• Other Works: Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001; also a major bestseller and adapted into a film)
• Awards: The American Library Association’s Award for Notable Books for Adults (2012)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Preservation of Human Dignity
• Faith and Hope
• Forgiveness

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore facts and statistics related to WWII POWs before reading and analyzing Unbroken.
• Discuss and analyze the deeper meaning of the text through prompts and activities about personal character and resilience that connect to text’s themes of The Preservation of Human Dignity, Faith and Hope, and Forgiveness.
• Study paired texts and other resources to explore other WWII survivor experiences.
• Research topics related to POWs and victims of war to inform the public about challenges, statistical trends, and ways to support former POWs and/or civilian victims of war.