Jan Zabinski and his wife Antonina ran the Warsaw Zoo until the Nazis bombed, then invaded the city. Nazi officials confiscated some of the animals for transfer to German zoos. They also staged a brutal "hunting party" where they gunned down many of the remaining animals. Jan was given other jobs within the city but the couple also assisted the massive Polish underground resistance movement and Zegota, the Polish Council to Aid Jews. The zoo became a safe house and way station for Jews being smuggled from the Warsaw ghetto on their way to freedom outside of the Nazi territories. People were given animal names and housed in various zoo buildings or the villa that was the Zabinski home. The random accumulation of animals in the household had human names thereby creating one of many levels of deception to protect the escapees. The cool-headedness and quick thinking of Antonina frequently saved them from discovery although both she and Jan kept cyanide pills in case they should ever be captured. Included in the temporary zoo residents are the sculptor, Magdalena Gross and Irena Sendler, who saved the lives of thousands of children during the Nazi occupation. This is a riveting and important piece of history. I never realized the Polish resistance movement was as large and well organized. I listened to the audiobook which was well read by Suzanne Toren. Now I may spend time watching the film version of this story.
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