The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Brilliant writing and wonderfully educational....

I really enjoyed learning about this never-before-told Holocaust story of two zookeepers in Warsaw who helped more than three hundred people escape and hide during WW2. However, I have a really hard time recommending it to others since its extremely historical and fact-driven, and reads more like a text book than a novel.

That being said, I found Ms. Ackerman's writing superb, as was her attention to detail and research on her subjects, both animal and human. The omnipresent comparison/contrast between human and animal subjects and how they are treated in this book was poignant, as was the essence of the story she tried to capture. At times I found it slightly monotonous/boring and found myself skimming, but as a whole I enjoyed reading it and learning about their lives and the sacrifices they made to help others.

I wish this novel had been written more as a work of fiction from the zookeeper's wife's perspective instead of from an outsider's perspective. I think it would have greatly enhanced the story and made it more enjoyable to read as a work of historical fiction/ novel.