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The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story
 

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story

by Diane Ackerman

Amazon Significant Seven, September 2007: On the heels of Alan Weisman's The World Without Us I picked up Diane Ackerman's The Zookeeper's Wife. Both books take you to Poland's forest primeval, the Bialowieza, and paint a richly textured portrait of a natural world that few of us would recognize. The similarities end there, however, as Ackerman explores how that sense of natural order imploded... (read more)

Top tags: poland,  holocaust,  history,  non-fiction,  zoo (all tags)

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Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

Shelly W
  • Rated 4 stars

“I listened to this book on CD and was amazed at the courage of Jan and Antonina Zabiniski as they worked with the Polish underground in Warsaw during World War II. This is an excellent book that not only relates this family's experiences but also details the day to day work of running the bombed-out zoo, navigating the streets of war-torn Warsaw, the struggles of the Jews trapped in the Warsaw ghetto, and glimpses into the lives of the many people sheltered or helped by the Zabinskis.”

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Didn’t Like It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Simplicity
  • Rated 2 stars

“I'm sorry to say that I'm giving up on this book. I really don't like not finishing a book..especially when it's for my book club. But it read like a droll biography, with few details to make it come alive for the reader. The author spent a lot of time on details that I found mundane...paragraphs about lifestyles of various animals, etc. Prior to reading, I thought it was classified as historical fiction. But I'm thinking it is a biography as the author was reluctant to add any details...”

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Community:
  • Rated 3.538012 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 0 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • Sticky

    sticky said:

    “Wonderful book and wonderful story telling by Ms. Ackerman. Now the Warsaw Zoo is on my list of places to visit and I don't even like zoo's. But the story is just so compelling, I'm always stunned by mans inhumanity to man and at the same time amazed at the human spirit and the courage of people to fight injustice. The story of Jan & Antonina Zabinski and their zoo during the German occupatiion of WWll is a lovely gift to the world.”

    posted Monday, June 23 2008
  • Kassiana

    kassiana said:

    “I am trying to add this book to my "I plan to read" shelf, but it keeps going on my "already read" shelf. This really really sucks.”

    posted Saturday, January 19 2008 ( | view 1 reply )
  • FatherOfHollywood

    fatherofhollywood said:

    “This is an excellent story, and the realization that it is, in fact a true story, makes it even more interesting. I would recommend it to anyone that is a history buff or that has an interest in the experience of the Jews during WWII.The descriptions of the animals, and the flora and fauna of Poland were so realistic that I felt that I was there! Written from the perspective of a Polish Catholic woman living during the war gave it a fresh perspective. A Great Read!!!”

    posted Sunday, October 21 2007
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