The Berlin Zookeeper

An utterly gripping and heart-breaking World War 2 historical novel

De: Anna Stuart

Narrado por: Katy Sobey

Two women. One shocking wartime secret. And a family mystery just waiting to be discovered...

Berlin Zoo, 1943: Ten-year-old Adelaide and her newborn sister are orphaned after a devastating night of bombing. Heartbroken and frightened, Adelaide runs to her mother’s closest friend, Katharina Heinroth, and the kind zookeeper takes the two little girls under her protection. As the bombing intensifies, Adelaide tries to shut out the horrors of war by caring for her tiny sister and playing with the adorable baby monkeys. But when Katharina organizes a dangerous operation to enable children and animals to escape the battle-scarred city, something goes wrong. And Adelaide has to promise her adopted mother to keep a shocking secret. A secret that will change Adelaide’s life forever.

Berlin Zoo, 2019: Bethan Taylor notices the elderly lady sitting on the bench next to her seems confused, her thoughts flitting between past and present. Ada talks of her childhood, played out in an underground bunker beneath the animal enclosures during the war. As Ada’s story unfolds, Bethan is surprised to hear a name she recognizes...

Katharina Heinroth is at the top of a list of German names Bethan found in a hidden compartment of her late mother’s jewellery box. Bethan’s father couldn’t tell her anything about the crumpled piece of paper and she’s been searching for the meaning ever since.

As the two women are brought together by the pain of the past, can they help each other to heal? And after decades of silence, can Ada help Bethan to uncover a long-buried family mystery?

An unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel of a brave orphan girl and a shocking wartime secret. Inspired by a true WW2 story and perfect for fans of Orphan Train, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and The Alice Network.

©2021 Anna Stuart (P)2024 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Excellent

Didn’t want to put it down. Kept my interest throughout. Great story line. Well written.

Loved this story!!

Lots of twists and turns. The author does a beautiful job of painting a picture of things so you feel like you’re there and can really see it!

Great story telling

Just amazing. Loved it so very much. Can’t wait to listen to more from this author.

I love learning about animals during World War II. I had never really thought about how that was handled

I like the storyline. And explaining the passion that people have for animals and sharing that with animal lovers, it might be too graphic, but they did a good job, balancing the truth without making me to you emotionally sad about animals 

The Zoo

Great story!!! I loved the suspense and everything about the animals. Stories about the war were sad, it was history and I love history!

Great Historical Fiction

This was so interesting I was looking up the zoo and WWII online before I was done reading The characters and plot were so believable! Wee done. I would like to check out more by this author snd the narrators was absolutely excellent. Thank you!

To hear of other things in war times

was eye opening. making the he reader understand there is more at stake during a war

Women are survivors

This story focuses on women. Women who were born, worked, gave birth to babies and who lived as well as died during WWII. It chronicles the search of a modern day woman who is trying to find her roots in Berlin as well as the lives of those women who were sheltered at the Berlin Zoo.

The zoo

Loved this book. Exciting and breath taking. The history in included in the story Great author enjoying her books

The love of animals

The narrator was truly exceptional. She drew me into the story immediately. I gained a new perspective as to how people of Berlin were affected by the politics, war and fear of the coming Russians. The setting in the zoo with its beloved animals and keepers is heart warming and breaking when the bombs hit. The intricate weave of identifying the present day vet's real grandmother during that time exposes the trauma of birthing in the bunker and gifting of babies.