The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story Chapter 28 Quotes

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story Chapter 28 Quotes

How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote 1

As safety ebbed and flowed during the war, even a quiet offhand remark could trigger a landslide of trouble. Word filtered back to Antonina and Jan that one of their Polish zoo guards had caught sight of Magdalena and gossiped that the famous sculptor hid in the villa. (28.1)

Loyalty can be betrayed by accident, too. Ever hear the American slogan "loose lips sink ships"? Well, in this case, it's something like "loose ground crews sink zoos."

Quote 2

Of all the Guests to leave the villa, "high-spirited Magdalena, full of energy and laughter," was the one Antonina said she missed the most. (28.13)

Speaking of cross-stitched signs, Antonina would have to take down her "Zoo Sweet Zoo" sign if she had one, and then she'd need to chuck her "Home Sweet Home" sign in the trash, too. Just as a zoo isn't a zoo without animals, the villa isn't a home without Antonina's friends inside it.

Quote 3

Even if to others Antonina often appeared calm, her writings reveal a woman often assailed by worry and broadsided by fear. (28.4)

As a follow up to the previous quote, we learn that Antonina is mostly hiding her fear. She doesn't show it, but she reveals it in her private journals. She isn't a rhino wearing armor; she's a fuzzy little teddy bear hiding beneath a cool shell.