Unbroken

Per a friend's suggestion - I got a copy of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and started reading. Now I'm telling you all - Biography, Non-Fiction, World War Two, Running, Redemption - this book has it all and you NEED to read it. It isn't an easy read - the life of Louie Zamperini is certainly not an pleasant one - an Olympic-hopeful runner, Louie is ready to break records with his incredibly fast mile, but is called to go to war. World War Two breaks into his plans for his running but he goes to war and plays his role as an airman. His plane is shot down over the Pacific Ocean and he and two other airmen are stranded for over a month in the middle of the ocean. Their story is amazing - compelling - and heart-breaking. Make it through the whole book and you will only be inspired by the ending - Zamperini's life is a story of redemption. I am pleased that Random House took this book and published it - worth every page!

Growing Up Amish

I enjoy books on the Amish - I see I am not alone, as even Wagler, in this book, mentions that people are intrigued by this group of people. But this book was FAR better than any Amish Fiction read! Ira Wagler LIVED Amish - he was born into this people, he struggled to be one of these people, and he tells his story in Growing Up Amish. It really is a story that caught me from the first page - how they live, what they believe, and how some people find it very hard to live in that culture. Wagler is honest and yet tender toward the people he shared much of his life with. I enjoyed every part of this book - his story is sad and still real. This memoir is one I will passing along to friends and encouraging them to read - it gives new insight into these people that intrigue the rest of us - and shows us the reality of "growing up Amish."

*I was sent this book by Tyndale and asked to give a review.