Too bad the story is not a story
I am only giving this book 3 stars because the research is fantastic and the story needs to be told. However I put the book down after merely 65 pages. The first chapter was excellent; told from the Zookeeper's Wife's point of view and well written. After that it was a mix of quotes from what I assume are diaries and historical research. I would rather read the diaries than this disjointed tale. Very disappointed as I saved this book to read on vacation.

Important reading
When average people are confronted by extreme circumstances and respond by behaving with extraordinary compassion and bravery, their example challenges us all. The story of the Zabinski family and their efforts sheltering Polish Jews and Resistance fighters in the remains of the Warsaw Zoo during World War II is eye opening. As the Nazi regime and their heinous crimes fade from living memory, it is meticulously documented stories like this that are crucial to keeping the truth alive. The author's style is confusing at times as she begins a story, then diverts to give us a great deal of background information, and then resumes the story pages later. The paperback version is a mere reprint of the hardcover, complete with photographs and consistent pagination.

Polish Christian zookeepers bravely tend to their menagerie and ménage, saving hundreds of Jews from the Nazis
Zookeepers Antonina and Jan Zabinski and their son Rys were three of the many, brave, caring persons who helped Jews survive certain death at the hands of the Nazis. The multi-lingual mom and dad's biggest strengths, beyond bravery, were their abilities to act quickly and correctly during a crisis. Eventually, with most of the animals moved elsewhere, the zoo was set up with the various "guests" being assigned animal names. When the arrival of the authorities was imminent, the resourceful Antonina would play (p 178) `Offenbach's "Go, Go, Go to Crete!"' to warn those in hiding. Through their connections to both unsuspecting bad guys and other good guys willing to risk their lives for the cause, they were able to help in ways that others could not due to their affiliation with the zoo. Author Diane Ackerman's research sources consisted primarily of Antonia's writings as well as interviews of both husband and wife. The writing style she employs to tell their story gives it a very authentic feel and allows the reader to get to know Antonia Zabinski (as much as one can with thirdhand knowledge). For example, on the subject of their varied, harried schedule, "attuned" to the needs of the animals, (p 20) "This brought a slated novelty to each day, and though the problems might be taxing, it imprinted her life with small welcome moments of surprise." Additionally, one learns about both the upside and downside of their decision to help: concerns and worries about each person's safety, as well as anecdotes of the exploits employed to fulfill their mission. One of my favorite examples of the latter is a situation involving the Zabinski's son, Encountering young male "guests" in their hiding place, (p 253) Rys (meaning lynx) states his name. One of the boys, aware of the family's use of animal names, replies that his name is "Pheasant." The Zookeepers Wife provides a well-researched and written look at the lives of an unconventional family in their attempts to help the Jews. Also good: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Life in Auschwitz by Primo Levy and Time's Arrow by Martin Amis.

The Zookeeper's Wife
This is a powerful read and should be required reading for all high school seniors. One must learn about the atrocities of the halocaust; remember history can be repeated.

Terrifying and moving
The most incredible thing about this book is that it really happened. Jan and Antonina Zabinski were zookeepers at the Warsaw Zoo and were disgusted and horrified by the treatment of the local Jews by the Nazis. As the Warsaw ghetto was gradually cleared by the total annihilation of its occupants, Jan devises ways to bring them to the Zoo secretly and to hide them in the cages which were formerly occupied with exotic animals, now stolen by the Nazis and sent to Germany to fulfill Hitler's mad scheme to "purify" even the animals and to attempt to restore the ancient lines of extinct species. How Antonina managed to keep a cool exterior in the face of the savagery of the soldiers beggars belief and if, as a reader, one attempts to feel the terror of the victims in one's own imagination, I, for one, broke out in a shivering sweat of horror. These incredibly brave people deserve the accolades heaped upon them by the Jewry after the war. Diane Ackerman writes this book as seen through the eyes of Antonina, interrupting the narrative to insert explanatory excerpts, and does a magnificent job of explaining Antonina's amazing rapport with all the animals in her care. It's a masterfully written account of how a few exectionally brave people saved the lives of so many innocents at a time when Poland was ruled by an evil madman who was trying to control and reshape humans and animals to fulfill the Nazi ideal of the worship of their kind of purity in all things.