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The Start of the Invasion
German planes are flying over Warsaw and a bomb was set off. Jan and Antonina head back to the zoo to see that the zoo's buildings are damaged and their animals are hurt. This is an early turning point since in the first few chapters, Jan and Antonina are living peacefully in Warsaw, until their whole life got flipped around. -
Leaving Home
After the zoo faced the damage of the invasion, Jan and Antonina tend to the remaining animals to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, they are soon forced to evacuate the zoo. This is another turning event since the zoo was the only place the Zabinskis acknowledged as home, but due to the current circumstances, they are forced to leave. -
Heck of a Betrayal
Lutz Heck promises to take care of the animals being lent to them, but instead, Heck's men come in and have a shooting range with them. This is a turning event. Although Antonina didn't feel comfortable around Heck to begin with, this makes it very clear that you shouldn't put blind trust into people. -
Too Close of a Call
Jan and Antonina are outside having a smoke when they see a place being bombed that's near their son, Rys', school area. This is character development for Jan and Antonina, as the thought of their son being in danger, it's a rude awakening that they won't be able to maintain a normal childhood for their son. -
Putting the Zoo to Use
Since the animals inhabiting the zoo are now gone, Jan decides to use the zoo as a place to hide the refugees in plain sight so it wouldn't cause any suspicion. This is a major turning event in the story, as Jan and Antonina decide to risk it all to save as many as they can while keeping themselves protected. -
The Second Child
Antonina gives birth to her second child, Teresa. There's now one more in the family. This is character development. The birth of a daughter will bring the Zabinskis joy, seeing that Jan and Antonina have a baby girl, and Rys now has a sibling. She will be the new light regardless of the darkness around everyone. -
One Last Time
After the war, Jan and Antonina come back to the zoo and Jan starts the rebuilding of it in 1947, while Antonina gets into writing children books. Both of them pass in the 1970's. This is character development and a turning point in the story. The war is finally over! However, Jan and Antonina won't be able to go back to what they had before, but they now emerge as people that will remember how amazing it is to wake up every morning. -
Theme Statement
Even when you've lost everything, there will always be one thing that you can still give to others, love.
