Book Review – The Zookeeper’s Wife
The second book in my 100 Book Challenge is The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman.
Summary: The book takes place in Poland and the story begins right before World War II. It is a history of Jan Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo, and his wife, Antonina. During the War, they shelter 300 Jews and Polish resisters in their home and in animal cages and sheds. The book is based on Antonina’s diary as well as interviews by Jan and others.
My Thoughts: I originally thought that this book was going to read like a novel, but it is more like a history book. I happen to like history books, so I found the story intriguing and the personal accounts fascinating. There was much that I did not know about Poland’s role in World War II and this book opened my eyes a bit. At the end of the war there were 500,000 residents left in Warsaw. Before the war, there had been one and a half million! I would not consider this book an easy read, so I read it in between reading a few other books. Don’t forget to look at the notes at the end of the book, there is some very interesting information hiding there!
30 January 2009, 8:14 am
If this is something that is more than just a novel,
I like history like books, based on the real actions.
Thanks for the reference i will read this book