I was excited to read this book, as my appetite had been whetted by advertisements for the movie. After reading the last two WWII novels, this was somewhat of a let down--not because of the great content and the very meticulous recording of details by the author--but because it read like a textbook, a bit devoid of the emotion and feelings of the characters. It made me realize that I need the "storybook tale" not just the stark facts.
Antonina was a generous and gifted woman, truly humble and unassuming as she went about her very unusual life during WWII in Warsaw. Her insights about animals and people, her sixth sense of danger, and her ability to courageously speak and act as if she were in a very normal setting--all worked together in her life to save over 300 Jewish "guests" at the Warsaw Zoo. I particularly enjoyed the human element of the various characters and how they managed to escape the trains or the slaughters by the ruthless Germans. Over and over, the resilient spirits that God gave to these people, in the face of brutality, oppression and fear; left me in amazement.
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