RebeccaGood day, dear readers! This book is going to take us on an incredible journey, and one that is not easily going to be forgotten. It is one of those reads that is going to stay with you, causing in-drawn breaths, heart stopping moments, and of course those times where you are going to want to jump up and cheer for the good guys. So hang on to your seat, cause we are fixing to dive into this adventure!
Louis Zamperini, known as Louie, had the beginning of a life that looked like it might end in prison. As a child, he found all different ways to get around any boundaries or lock that stood in his way. As he moved through the years, overshadowed by his seemingly perfect older brother, he was not really sure where he fit in. Try as he might, he could not stay out of trouble, and he always retaliated, not matter the issue.
It was his brother Pete, who finally got Louie started on the right direction in life. Getting him into running was the one thing that seemed to ground him, and try to quit as he might, Pete would not allow him to stop. Then something happened that started a life long passion. After winning a event at his local school, the applause of the crowd caught him, and it was exhilarating! He loved it! He began to train harder and longer. He was determined to make it to the Olympics, and he did, just barely getting through all the races. Between the weather other issues plaguing the athletes, they each tried their best to slide into those Olympic slots. On his way to Germany to compete, the journey produced different results for each one. Not really being able to work out on their journey across, they began to eat. Weight gain was rampant, and some were unfit for their weight class upon arrival.
With the outbreak of war, Louie joined the Air Corp, but after washing out the first time, he signed his papers without reading them, and then went off to finish working on a movie he was playing an extra in. When it was finished, he got the news that he had been drafted, and was off once again for the Air Corp. During the training, he made a friend of Lt. Russell Phillips, who would be the pilot of the crew that they were assigned to. During their time together, they watched as friends did not come back, while cementing their friendship even more.
As the war heated up, they began their missions, and there were a couple of times that it seemed that their plane might not make it back to their landing field. As they fought the odds and continued to pray for the best, the numbers were not always on their side. Crews were being killed in accidents, sometimes one could not distinguish enemy aircraft from their own, and there was always the chance that they would run off course and run out of fuel before they reached their destination. It was the mission to Nauru that would change their crew from the one that they had been accustomed to flying with. Beset by Japanese Zeros, their plane was hit time and time again by enemy fire. Several crew members were seriously wounded, and the enemy fire had damaged the plane to the point of possibly not making it back to the island of Funafuti. Barely bringing their wounded aircraft in, they lost just one of their crew to the bombardment they had gone through. But the nightmare was not over. The island of Funafuti was about to be hit once again by enemy aircraft….
This week we are reading Chapters 1-10
Questions:
- Why do you think Pete pushed his brother so hard?
- When Louie found something he enjoyed, he put his entire being into it. How could we learn from his example?
- Pushing toward the Olympics was a huge gamble for Louie. Are you surprised at his results?
- The story thus far has been one to keep you on the edge of your seat. What do you think of it so far?
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