Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story (edition 2008)by Diane Ackerman
Work InformationThe Zookeeper's Wife by Diane ACKERMANN
Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I always enjoy Ackerman's book, and this one even more than many of her others. There was less of the author herself permeating the pages the characters and story were allowed to take center stage ( ) Antonina Zabinski loved living and working at the Warsaw Zoo. Described as a housewife, a mother, and a zookeeper, Antonina's magical life in the Warsaw Zoo was everything she dreamed of until the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. As fear descended upon Poland, Antonina’s husband, Jan, couldn’t let people or animals suffer and wanted to help as many Jews as possible. Together, the couple devised a plan using the zoo as camouflage to hide people. Overseeing daily life at the zoo was Antonina’s job. A woman of opposites: empathy and bravery, innocence and fierce protector, Antonina kept their Guests hidden and safe. She never revealed her fears or made anyone feel unworthy. Remarkably courageous and dedicated, Antonina wove a web of lies and managed to keep everyone fed. As they confronted many challenges along the way, the Zabinskis were a bright light in the darkness of war. The Bottom Line: What makes this book different from some other books about the Holocaust is the focus on compassion and self-sacrifice. The Zabinski family were in a special position to help others despite the personal risks involved. For the complete review including Book Club Notes, please visit the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. As a naturalist, author Diane Ackerman brings an unique perspective to her writing, which helps her convey relationships between organisms and their environment. Besides telling the story of the Zabinski family and their heroic actions, this book also includes the stories about other historical figures during that time. Highly recommended as significant reading for those interested in understanding history, war, human behavior, and animal behavior. This is one of those gems that I would never had known about were it not for a wonderful online book club. I love stories like this: about the smaller-scale heroes of WWII. Regular people who did what they could in the face of extraordinary evil. It's a story that serves to be known and I enjoyed it immensely. I thought the story was very moving and that the Zabinskis where very interseting people. I realize it is a true story but I wish it were written a little bit more like a novel and less like a History book. I would have liked to have heard more about this incredible family and the inhabitants of the villa rather than the events of the war, but at the end of the day I'm glad I read it. After watching the movie, which I thought was excellent, I read the book, which I also thought was excellent, but not exactly what I thought it was going to be....just another historical novel. This is actually a true story of the life of Jan Zabinski and his wife, Antonina, written from the author's point of view, using Jan and Antonina's journals during World War II. It is evident that God must have placed them in just the right place to be able to hide and save hundreds of Jews from death. They also had the right temperament to pull it off. A lot of research went into their story as the author seamlessly intertwined quotes from their journals and at the same time adding other stories in Warsaw as they unfolded. She also captured the family's love of animals so well. She personalized and gave life to this writing. You will even find a few family photos of Jan & Antonina. She did describe quite a few photos in the story that she had seen but weren't included in the book. I wonder where we can find those photos? If only all history could be told in this manner. At the end of the book, the author lets you know what happens to Jan and Antonina, and her family, as well as a few other people, after the war. She was also able to travel back to Warsaw and see some of the damage that still remains today, and writes of how they have progressed in building back the city and capital of Poland. Has the adaptationAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English (31)When Germany invaded Poland, bombers devastated Warsaw--and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into the empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants and refusing to give in to the penetrating fear of discovery, even as Europe crumbled around her. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)940.5318350943841History and Geography Europe Europe 1918- World War II Social, political, economic history; Holocaust HolocaustLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |