Hana’s Suitcase

In the spring of 2000, Fumiko Ishioka, the curator of a Holocaust education center in Tokyo, received an empty suitcase from the Auschwitz museum. From the moment she saw it, Fumiko was captivated by the writing on the outside of the suitcase, which identified its owner: "Hana Brady, May 16, 1931, Waisenkind" (the German word for orphan). Children visiting the center were full of questions. Who was Hana Brady? Where did she come from? What happened to her? Fueled by their curiosity, Fumiko began a year of detective work, scouring the world for clues.
Writer Karen Levine follows Fumiko in her search, from present-day Japan, Europe and North America back to 1938 Czechoslovakia and the young Hana Brady, a fun-loving child with a passion for ice-skating. Together with Fumiko, we learn of Hana's loving parents and older brother, George, and discover how the family's happy life in a small town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis. Full of mystery, Hana's story comes to life through the eyes of Fumiko and later her brother George, who now lives in Canada. Photographs and original wartime documents enhance a journey that bridges cultures, generations and time. The introduction is by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.