From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Ackerman (A Natural History of the Senses) tells the remarkable WWII story of Jan Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo, and his wife, Antonina, who, with courage and coolheaded ingenuity, sheltered 300 Jews as well as Polish resisters in their villa and in animal cages and sheds. Using Antonina's diaries, other contemporary sources and her own research in Poland, Ackerman takes us into the Warsaw ghetto and the 1943 Jewish uprising and also describes the Poles' revolt against the Nazi occupiers in 1944. She introduces us to such varied figures as Lutz Heck, the duplicitous head of the Berlin zoo; Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, spiritual head of the ghetto; and the leaders of Zegota, the Polish organization that rescued Jews. Ackerman reveals other rescuers, like Dr. Mada Walter, who helped many Jews pass, giving lessons on how to appear Aryan and not attract notice. Ackerman's writing is viscerally evocative, as in her description of the effects of the German bombing of the zoo area: ...the sky broke open and whistling fire hurtled down, cages exploded, moats rained upward, iron bars squealed as they wrenched apart. This suspenseful beautifully crafted story deserves a wide readership.

Sending this off to pinklady60 as part of a trade...enjoy!:)

Received from Flakes as part of a trade. This book has been selected as the 2009 One Book One San Diego.

trade paperback

An ALA Notable Book and winner of the Orion Book Award

Christian Polish zookeeper Jan Zabinski and his wife become part of the Underground Resistance during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw in World War II. By capitalizing on the Nazis’ obsession with rare animals, this courageous couple was able to save the lives of more than 300 Jews.

An amazing story that got off to a slow start, but still worth reading.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Jessibud in Ontario, Canada as a surprise RABCK. I know you would like to read this book, and I hope you enjoy it!

Awww, thanks, pinklady60! What a great surprise to come home to. This day was not a good one at school today so finding this in my mailbox when I arrived home was very heartwarming. Thanks again! I think I may save it to take with me to read on my vacation. I leave for a week in West Virginia just a couple of days after school ends (June 26th, can't wait!)

Thanks again, so much!

I Started this book last week but on page 100, I had to put it down. It is a book I had wanted very much to read but it has taken me ages to get to it and I am struggling. I went through a phase many years ago of reading Holocaust literature/memoir and while it was necessary (for me), I also felt drained and in need of a long break from it. I have read some since then so I shouldn't be surprised at my reaction to this. But I am. Maybe it's just my frame of mind lately but I don't think I can finish this. It's just too depressing and awful. I usually adore Diane Ackerman's writing but I think I just need something more upbeat, or just something different right now. I'll offer it at our next meetup, or maybe just hang onto it and see if I can pick it up another time.

Will bring to the meetup today. It deserves to be read and I hope someone picks it up

I picked this up at the Toronto meetup on Nov. 28. I remember hearing a lot about it when it was first published. Looking forward to reading it!

Thanks jessibud - great seeing you on the weekend!

Released on the counter in the women's washroom.