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The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story Chapter 9 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Antonina wakes in darkness.
  • Because of the blackout, bedroom windows have been sealed with plywood.
  • Antonina must get ready for Lutz Heck's visit.
  • Heck arrives, and he's friendly. He promises to persuade German high command to be lenient toward the zoo.
  • In the meantime, Heck asks for the zoo's animals.
  • "Please think of your animals as a loan" (9.10), Heck says. Can they charge interest? Loan him an elephant and get both it and a hippo back in return?
  • Antonina feels they have no choice to comply.