National Network for Equitable Library Service

In the spring of 2000, Fumiko Ishioka, the curator of a small Holocaust education centre for children in Tokyo, received a special shipment of artifacts from the Auschwitz museum. Among the items was an empty suitcase. From the moment she saw it, Fumiko was captivated by the writing on the outside that identified its owner – Hana Brady, May 16, 1931, Waisenkind (the German word for orphan). Children visiting the centre were full of questions. Who was Hana Brady? Where did she come from? What happened to her? Fueled by the children’s curiosity and her own need to know, Fumiko began a year of detective work, scouring the world for clues to the story of Hana Brady. 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 Czechoslovakian town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis. Photographs and original wartime documents enhance this extraordinary story that bridges cultures, generations and time. This edition includes the original book as well as the full script of the play adaptation by Emil Sher.