There have been many inspiring stories of courage written about the holocaust and World War II. Author Diane Ackerman’s latest work, The Zookeeper’s Wife is one of the most touching. It is the true story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo and his wife, who sheltered over 300 Jews from the Nazi regime during World War II. Their home and the cages that once held the animals at the zoo became a place of refuge. This amazing story was based on Antonina’a diaries, news accounts and Ackerman’s own research. Ms. Ackerman brings to life the work of the Polish underground and the bravery of both Zabinskis, but in particular, Antonina, whose kindness, compassion and love of life, drove her to assist the individuals that she helped survive.
Diane Ackerman’s ability to so effectively convey the story of the Zabinskis and the people they helped should come as no surprise to those who have read her previous works. She began her career as a poet and has written several volumes of poetry. Although lately she has written more prose – books on gardening, psychology and neuroscience – she still retains a poet’s sensibility and her writing in all of her books is both poetic and eloquent. Ackerman often puts her own life experiences into the way she writes about the scientific questions she raises. In The Zookeeper’s Wife we see her keen interest in science and nature that she exhibited in her best selling book, A Natural History of the Senses. That compilation of essays on the five senses is filled with fascinating scientific, historical and cultural information about our senses. In An Alchemy of Mind, Ackerman writes about the complexity of the human brain. The lessons and meanings of play are explored in Deep Play, and in Cultivating Delight she observes her garden through the changing of the seasons. Ms. Ackerman has been the recipient of many awards and prizes for her work. You can read more about this intriguing woman on her own website.
Come and meet author Diane K. Ackerman at the library on Monday, September 15th at 7:30 PM. Copies of her book will be available for sale and signing.