More than a story about the Zookeeper's Wife (although her journal obviously informed a large part of Ackerman's basic narrative) this book was a detailed snapshot of the landscape, philosophy, science, and daily life in Warsaw during WWII. It is not emotional and narrates the happenings from the distance and safety of a 21st century researcher's chair. I would say, however, that this helped me get a more balanced perspective of what life might have felt like to many people involved. Even the "side quests" on animal breeding and beetle collections (which I have seen berated in other reviews) were helpful for understanding the obsession with genetic purity and the "shimmering veil" that separates animals from humans according to convenience throughout history.

For a more personal account of people saving Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, I think that "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom is an inspirational read.

Well, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks, because I'm starting to think maybe I like nonfiction after all! Maybe not all nonfiction. But I did really enjoy The Zookeeper's Wife.

It is the story of a husband and wife zookeeping team in Warsaw -- before, during, and after WWII. This is exposing my ignorance, but I really didn't know much of anything about what it was like in Warsaw during the war and the German occupation. Horrible, as you can imagine. I didn't even know that the term "ghetto" comes from the Ghetto that was built to contain the city's Jews (in wretched living conditions, of course).

Jan and Antonina hid over 300 Jews at the zoo and worked with the resistance, both to help Jews to escape and to sabotage the German soldiers. I keep thinking that I'm done reading about WWII. It's too painful. But then I read a book like this that makes me really think. Maybe there's no such thing as too many...

What makes some people in a war situation risk everything to help those in need, while others just hunker down and try to be invisible? It's fascinating to me. I really hope I would be one that would try to help, but I wonder.

I'll bet, this will remain one of my favorite books ever for a long while. The author is brilliant and clearly a researching manic(examine those notes in the back). I was fascinated to learn about the Nazi's insane plans to revitalize extinct animals and flora. And, even while the horrible details of cruelty in the Warsaw ghetto and streets of Poland took me way down, the heroic lifesaving efforts by the insurgents and others restored my faith in humanity. Yes, there is such goodness in the world even in a time of pure evil. The main characters were human, likable and raw. This is a powerful and moving book.

I was disappointed in this book. I expected it to be constructed much better than it was, and to hold an engaging narrative line the entire way through. I think it might be a good example of a book whose story might have been loved too much by the author, who might have lost some editing and revision ability.

Skip the book and watch the movie instead. The author goes off on too many historical tangents and the story doesn't flow.

I wanted to read this before seeing the film. I'm usually fascinated by WWII stories. It was not as enthralling as I'd expected and I felt like I wanted a better description of where the people hid in the zoo. A map of the zoo could have helped. I kept thinking that I was filling in information by educated guess. Maybe the movie will help.

Lent to Autumn 6-18-2013

I don't quite recall why I picked up The Zookeeper's Wife, but I am pleased that I did. I don't generally read non-fiction, but I had just finished The Nightengale a fictional account of the activities during the Nazi occupation; Paris and France. The Zookeeper's Wife, is set in Poland, primarily in the national zoo in Warsaw.

I expect that nearly everyone alive is aware on a superficial level of the devastation of Warsaw. Warsaw had a very large Jewish population so as one might expect Hitler's mania against anyone who wasn't him fell heavily in Warsaw. Jan and Antonina Zabinski ran the zoo and were responsible for saving an estimated 300 Jews from the death that so many suffered. Jan gave his wife Antonina much of the credit, but I expect she would say that same of him. Given that, it was Antonina that did much of the day to day work of not only caring for the animals that remained after the occupation, but keeping her 'guests' alive by feeding them and moving them around like pieces on a chessboard.

Ms. Ackerman tells of many of the frightening, curious, and even humorous events she and her extended family experienced. She also makes some observations that I found enlightening in the conciseness. One in particular on the bottom of page 239 in which she states that it is interesting that wild animals can learn to put aside their anger in a few months of cohabitation with humans while humans have been trying to coexist for millennia without demonstrating an inability to be less than the most vicious beast. Read the quote, it is better.

I expect to get the movie today, but I already expect to be disappointed.

Read the book. You will be enlightened.

I understand some readers critiques of Ackerman's prose. Still, I found myself back in Warsaw, walking from Praga to the Old Town, greeting the lions at the zoo, smelling the honeyed linden trees in Praski Park while dodging bees. It's been two years since I've been to the Warsaw Zoo, but Ackerman brought me back and allowed me to see what a deep story it has (something I missed during my in person visit). That's a talent I envy in any author, even if on occasion her lengthy tangents caused me to flip a page or two. It wasn't until nearly the end that I remembered my memory was only a reflection of Antonina's world - version 2 of Warsaw, rebuilt after all the bombing and burning.