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Natchaug book club for October
October 10, 2025
To honor National Polish American Heritage Month, we are reading The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman and discussing it on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 10 a.m. and Friday, Oct. 31, at 3 p.m. (subject to change).
A true story in which the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands. Jan and Antonina Zabinski were Polish Christian zookeepers, who managed to save more than 300 people. Drawing on Antonina’s diary and other historical sources, Ackerman vividly re-creates Antonina’s life as “the zookeeper’s wife,” responsible for her own family, the zoo animals, and their “guests” ― resistance activists and refugee Jews, many of whom Jan had smuggled from the Warsaw Ghetto.
There will be two copies to borrow at the main hospital front desk. Please do not keep a copy of the book more than 10 days so they can make the rounds if necessary. Click the title for the Amazon link if you prefer to purchase a copy or use Libby with your library card and check the book out at https://libbyapp.com/interview/welcome#
We will email a Teams link before the meeting. Please reach out to Kate at Katherine.mcnulty@hhchealth.org with any questions.