Rating: 4 out of 5
The Zookeeper's Wife - A
War Story by Diane Ackerman
Review by Erin Gurry
The Zookeeper's Wife is a true tale of secrecy,
power, and the will to continue when all seems
lost. The Warsaw Zoo, once a popular tourist
destination in Poland, found itself an integral
part in the lives of numerous Jews during World War
II. With the use of a diary and other effects,
Ackerman tells the heroic, true story of a family
during Nazi occupation of Poland. After losing most
of their animals during a bombing, Jan and Antonina
Zabinski, the zoo director and his wife began using
the zoo grounds and their home to hide individuals
from Nazi soldiers. The house, normally teeming
with animal life became a safe haven. The Jews
would often occupy animal cages and hidden closets
throughout the villa and only emerge at night when
detection was minimal. The Zabinski's were able to
avoid detection and give the appearance of a fairly
ordinary life for many years with the use of secret
passages, hidden artillery, code names and
trustworthy friendships.

The family worked together, along with their son to
keep up the appearance of a functional zoo. Once
Jan smuggled them out of the ghetto, Antonina
helped them maintain their freedom and kept them
nourished body and soul. She used music and her
gentle disposition to comfort escapees and raise
their spirits. Constantly reminded of the
surrounding war, Antonina found herself compelled
to help the victims displaced by years of racial
and religious suppression. It was only practical
that her gentle nature and compassion toward
animals would extend to helping people hiding from
Nazi eyes.

Ackerman has found a beautiful story amidst the
ruin and devastation of WWII. It will draw you in
and instill in you a sense of courage. The story
not only shows the wreckage associated with a
brutal war but also the beauty of the human heart.
It recreates a world completely believable in an
unbelievable time in our world's history.
Copia Magazine
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