Antonina Zabinski and her husband, Jan, ran the Warsaw Zoo during WWII. I learned a lot about how WWII affected Poland - the country was occupied for 6 years, and there was a great deal of suffering, especially by the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. The Zabinskis became very active in the Underground resistance movement and ended up helping over 300 people escape - sheltering them in their home and the zoo. The author, a poet and naturalist (best known for the book The Natural History of the Senses), has a very descriptive writing style. She writes evocatively, especially about nature and the animals in the book. At first this style put me off a bit, but I soon got involved in the story. The book has a lot to offer - the history of the period, fascinating details about animals (the family made pets of a badger, pig, arctic hare, in addition to many other creatures that freely roamed their home), interesting characters within a wonderful community, and vivid descriptions of nature. It's not your typical WWII or Holocaust story.