Every time I read a book about WW2, I am uplifted by the strength and power of the human condition.
This is the true story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski; zookeepers of the Warsaw Zoo in Poland from the onset of the war up until the end.
It is the story of two people who saved over 300, destined for death because they were Jews.
Their courage in the face of unending danger is astonishing and only part of the story of many who aided Jews in the underground, getting them out.
Taking the chances of being killed themselves.
Being brave is an understatement.
As Jan says "I only did my duty...if you can save somebody's life, it's your duty to try."
380,000 Jews lived in Poland at the start of the war.
Many did not survive.
But some people, like the Zabinskis, knew that they had to use what little power that they had to try.
Diane Akerman is a descriptive and informed writer with beautiful technique.
