Happy to have this nice-quality hardcover version of a book that's been on my wishlist.
Considering an invitation/wishlist bookring when I finish reading it!

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. 8 pages of illus.

I've read mixed reviews, but I found this amazing story based in history and journal entries to be a wonderful, disturbing, and compelling read!
The writing style is descriptive, verging on flowery at times - yet suited to the story and times. The author's respect for nature and accuracy comes through.

The Polish zookeeper couple had amazing knowledge, love of animals - esp. Antonina was like an
animal-whisperer. Those who love animals will especially appreciate this dimension of the story.

But the real power of their story is their balance of everyday enjoyment, passion for animals, family life, pleasures of music, sharing food - with the frightening realities of danger and fear of Nazi wartime in Poland. Their willingness to put themselves at risk to help their Jewish "guests" makes me wonder what I would do in their place.
It's all thought-provoking - a perspective on human nature at its best and worst.

And now an invitation/wishlist bookring! I'm mailing the book today.

- mississippimom - MS
- 6of8 - MD
- whiskeyjane - NM
- jeskawest - WA
- JDT - CA (home again)

The usual respectful guidelines, please:

- journal the book's safe arrival - then your thoughts when you finish reading it
- PM the next person for address, so you can mail the book on ASAP
- to keep the bookring moving, I'm thinking 2-4 weeks each should be enough time - but let us know if there's any problem.
- Enjoy the bookring - and this nice group of bookcrossers!

Received this today via Priority Mail from JDT.
Looking forward to reading this one for the MidSouth BookCrossers 'June Read'.

Thanks for letting me go first in this bookring!
You're the BEST!

Not really my 'cup of tea'... Would not have read this one if it hadn't been the book for June for the MidSouth BookCrossers group read...

I just don't like to read books about the holocaust... they are just too sad by far.
It was such a terrible time and I always end up crying and it's hard to read through the tears.

I do appreciate JDT starting this bookring and letting me go first so I could read it before our meetup! That was most kind.

I've pm'd 60f8 for her mailing address and will put this in Saturday's mail if I get her address in time...

Thanks again JDT.

Mailing off to the next bookcrosser in this bookring "60f8" .... Welcome to Book Crossing! Won’t you please take a moment and make a brief journal entry to let us know this book has made a new friend. You may keep this book or read & release it as I have done. You may remain anonymous; however, I hope you’ll consider joining Book Crossing. It’s fun, free and quite secure. If you do join, I would be pleased if you would list my screen-name MississippiMom in the referred by space. If you are in the Memphis area, we would love to have you come meetup with the MidSouth BookCrossers. You can find out about our upcoming meetups by clicking on this link.... MidSouth BookCrossers

Received in the mail yesterday from mississippimom. Technically, this should go in my TBR stack behind the other book ring book which I have already started. However, I opened it for just a little taste last night and have read the first 5 chapters already. I may well finish this one first. So far, so good.

A truly delightful book about a difficult subject. I learned a lot about the Third Reich that I never knew and I gained an increased respect for the Polish people in general. I came to love so many of the characters in this book and wish I had a chance to know them in person. Thanks for including me in this book ring!

Sent off to whiskeyjane in NM, next stop in the Bookring. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Welcome to Book Crossing -- this book is now yours to read, retain, release, or any combination thereof which suits your fancy. Books registered with Book Crossing are tracked by those who have read them before to see where they will go and who they will meet on their journeys. You are welcome (and encouraged) to create a journal entry on the book, particularly when passing it on to a specific someone or releasing in the wild. You can remain anonymous or join Book Crossing, where you are known to others by the screen name of your choice and no personal information is revealed. Sharing books in this fashion is just another way of spreading good karma across the world. Whatever you choose to do, enjoy the book!

Book arrived safely in today's mail, part of a bookring. I will read this next and then send it along to the next on ring. Thanks for adding me JDT, and thanks for mailing 6 of 8. I can't wait to read this interesting story.

I will be done reading this and will put in the mail to the next person on the ring next week. I have PM'd jeskawest for her mailing address.

This very graphic story made me furious and sad at the same time. There was way too much brutality and cruelty to really even comprehend. Antonina and Jan are amazing people.

Book is in the mail to jeskawest, next stop for this book ring (mailed Aug 4th, 2301 0370 0000 7652 7346).

Got this one today - I all of a sudden have books to read yay!! I will get to it soon.

Just finished this one today. I really wanted to read the story of Jan and Antonina, but I found the book very difficult to get into. I honestly did not like the writing style very much, I felt like Ackerman skipped around too much, and it was a little difficult to follow the timeline. But I stuck with it, and the story was compelling enough to keep me reading, even if the writing wasn't.
I have not really read anything about Poland during WWII, and I don't know much about the Warsaw uprising. Reading about the Underground and the work that so many people, not just Jan and Antonina did, was amazing. I can only hope I would have the same kind of courage under similar circumstances. Worth the read, although I don't know if I'll be picking up another Diane Ackerman title anytime soon.

Sent back home to JDT.

Thanks, jeskawest! It was fun seeing this book in our mail when we returned last night from a wonderful trip to Italy!

And thanks to each of you for joining my bookring and keeping the book moving in a lovely journey!

Picked up at tonight's meeting.

continuing the journey - to caligula03 at our local BC meetup last night

Still here.

Fascinating read about a really dark time in recent history.

Taking to the November meeting.

Picked this up at tonight's meeting. Thanks, caligula03!

PS - and the dust jacket cover has been reunited with the book!
Thanks again.

Left on the Friends of the Library bookshelf. Please go online at www.bookcrossing.com and make a journal entry so I can follow the book's travels. You can do so anonymously, but even better, join Bookcrossing (its free!) and make the world your library.