City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

The zookeeper's wife, a war story, by Diane Ackerman

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 343-349) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The zookeeper's wife

bibliography

by Diane Ackerman

a war story

The true story of how the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands. When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw--and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina abiski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the abiskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socialising, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants--otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes--and keeping alive an atmosphere of play and innocence even as Europe crumbled around her.--From publisher description

adult