The Zookeepers Wife

The Zookeeper's Wife is a novel by Diane Ackerman set during the Holocaust published in 2007

Fast Facts

1. Author: Diane Ackerman
2. Genre: Non-Fiction
3. Publication Date: September, 2007
4. Publisher: Norton W.W. & Company
5. Pages: 368
6. ISBN 9780393061727

Plot Synopsis

The Zookeeper's Wife tells the true story of the Warsaw Zoo during the second World War, which was used to shelter refugee Jewish Europeans as they hid from the Holocaust. Using the animal cages and sheds, the keepers were able to prevent the Nazis from finding them. The story was adapted by Ackerman using the diary Antonina , the Zookeeper's wife, along with other independent research.

Critical Reception

• "I would gladly read another book, perhaps a novel, based again on Antonina's writings. She was special, and as the remaining members of her generation die off, a voice like hers should not be allowed to fade into the silence." - D T Max, New York Times
• "Here is a true story—of human empathy and its opposite—that is simultaneously grave and exuberant, wise and playful. Ackerman has a wonderful tale to tell, and she tells it wonderfully." - Susie Linfield, Washington Post

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