Warsaw Zoo

The Warsaw Zoo is the primary setting of the book. The zoo was designed in accordance with the belief that the animal enclosures should closely mirror natural habitats. At the beginning of the book, the zoo is described as a paradise filled with animal sounds and fragrant plants. When the zoo was bombed, it lost its beauty, but became a place of refuge for Jews fleeing the Ghetto. Antonina and Jan used the empty animal enclosures to hide their Jewish Guests while arrangements were made for them to move on to safer places. After the war, Jan and Antonina rebuilt the zoo before Jan retired.

Villa

The villa was the house on the grounds of the Warsaw Zoo where the Zabinskis lived. Before the war, it was a beautiful home with big windows that let in a lot of sunshine. When the war broke out, the...