I thought this book was going to be written more consistently like a fiction novel. That being said, I actually appreciated the infusions of straight fact and historical reporting. Those moments made life at the zoo more real and I felt like I could really understand Antonina and all the zoo residents predicament. I also admire Antonina for being so brave in the face of nazi occupation and for staying at the villa as long as she did! Jan was also brave, but as a Woman with two kids and a house to lead I admire Antonina more.

Good story that I had not heard before. It reminds me that there were, and still are, good people in the world willing to stand up to the terrible injustices happening all around.

Once in a while I luck upon a book that helps ground me. The Zookeeper's Wife was definitely one of those. It is more than an interesting work of history, more than a fascinating look into the past. It is a book that reminds us of hope in the middle of despair; that even when fear is a constant companion--the goodness and heroism of people can shine brightly; and how fortunate we are to live in this country, at this time, with the problems we face now, because there have been many periods and places in history that are so much more terrifying than the things we face living here in the U.S. today. It also reminds me that we cannot turn a blind eye to the atrocities that others, in less "safe" countries, deal with everyday, even in our modern era. This book, based on the life events of Antonina Zabinski, the wife of the Warsaw Zookeeper during the WWII and the Nazi Occupation reveals the strength of a woman and her family who helped save over a hundred Jews and intellectuals through their most prized possession, the zoo. There may be times that Ackerman adds a tad too much flourish and I would have liked a bit of additional general information about Warsaw during the war. But overall what I loved most about this book is that although it takes place during a period of time when the far extreme of human cruelty and hatred was reaching its destruction across our world, it exposes one of the many pockets of hope and light and goodness that would not succumb to the evil around them.

I really enjoyed this true story about the owners of the Warsaw Zoo during WWII as they replaced animals with Jewish and Polish refugees.

I have read multiple WW2 books this year and it never ceases to amaze me how diverse each one has been! One war has created so many stories that I think it would take a lifetime to get through them all! The Zookeeper's Wife was no different! I think it is one of my top ten favorite WW2 books. I loved reading about Jan and Antonina's lives and the animals that came and went throughout the book. It's incredible how God can use a single family to save hundreds of Jews from the wrath of Hitler. I laugh every time I think about how the Zabinski family were hiding the Jews in the animal cages, right under the German's noses! The courage it must have taken to keep such a humungous secret and then the relief to make it through the war with only two Jews being caught is astounding! If you haven't read this book or seen the movie, I highly recommend that you do, it's a story you'll never forget!

Overall an enjoyable read, learned a lot about WWII in Poland... as far as quality of writing, not the best. Sometimes found it scattered, jumping back and forth between the zoo and historical lessons.

I’ve read a few WW2 biographical fiction type books, and this was similar to those except it was set in Poland. This story is a heart wrenching story about two Polish zookeepers, Jan and Antonina as they try to readjust to German invaded Poland. Once successful zoo owners, the two struggle to convert what space they have left to hide Jews who have escaped capture and are on their way to more permanent homes. We hear about how Jan is able to sneak into the ghettos, saving animal collections as well as people and how Antonina tries to maintain a household with many guests and raising her son, Rys, to not know too much, lest he spill the beans. I found myself getting a bit confused with some of the animal details, but to me that does not detract from the amazing strength of the Polish people who did everything in their power to maintain an underground way to save as many as they found. I was still struck by their strength and was excited to read about parts of their story as reminders of good in the world. I remember seeing this movie on Netflix as well and will definitely be watching that when I find some free time.

Excellent - I much preferred this view of WW II to In the Garden of Beasts. Ackerman finds a unique perspective in the story of the Warsaw zoo and its many inhabitants (of all species!).

This was a slow read for me because the author gets off topic with her over-the-top descriptions. I did love this book. The story was one I had not heard before and it's important enough that people should know it.

This book ranks as one of the worst books I ever read. I only suffered through it because of my interest in the subject. What should have been a fascinating story was destroyed but the author's inability to present a focused tale. The author frequently goes off on tangents and provides meaningless information that does advance the story.

DNF
Can't think I can continue reading this, it's not my genre and the WW is not my thing.