The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (2007, Hardcover)

This is an amazing story of how two Warsaw zookeepers protected and saved hundreds of Jews inside their bombed out zoo during WWII. The zookeeper's wife is Antonina Zabinski, an animal lover who has spiritual connections with the animals in her care. As the war progresses, Antonina becomes a defender of the Jews and keeps approximately 300 of them on the grounds of the vast Warsaw Zoo. This story is also about her husband Jan, the zookeeper who fights for Poland, is captured, but amazingly is released due to the efforts of a zookeeper in Germany! Jan comes back to fight in the underground Polish Army and he rescues many Jews and uses the zoo as a safe harbor, since the German's are allowing it to remain open on a limited basis.
The larger story here is the Warsaw Holocaust which continues until the end of the war, when the Soviets re-open the zoo in 1949. Jan resigns two years after this event due to Stalinism. Antonina died in 1971 and left a diary that recalls all the events the author wrote about.

This book is chock full of details. Well written and interesting to read. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the human spirit of those who suffered at the hands of the Germans duing World War II.