4.5. Amazing book, beautifully written. This is more than the story of an amazing woman, this is also the story of many Warsaw citizens who risked their lives to save Jewish people and fight against the Nazis. I was impressed that, perhaps, 12 percent of the Warsaw population was involved with trying to save as many Jewish lives as possible.

Ackerman did a beautiful job describing their home at the zoo. It is amazing how they lived before the war, at the zoo nursing young and hurt animals in their villa. How they lived during the war, he very heavily involved with the Polish underground, she housing, feeding and together rescuing about 300 Jewish people during the war years. But, to me, just as astonishing, was how they did it, under the noses of the Germans and with grace and style. At one point, Antonina wrote, "they were almost happy" during this terrifying time.

I loved reading translations of Antonina's writing - also very beautiful.

My only complaint is that I was a bit frustrated with how Ackerman wrapped up the story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski. They just faded away among descriptions of what happened to other people.