Hana's Suitcase

An accomplished radio journalist and producer, Karen Levine lives in Toronto, Canada, with her family. Before hearing about Hana Brady, Levine had already produced multiple award-winning radio programs in Canada, receiving the esteemed Peabody Award twice. Her interest in addressing social justice led her to Hana’s story after she read about it in a news article. Levine created a radio story about Hana and her suitcase, which developed into the book Hana’s Suitcase.

To draft and publish Hana’s Suitcase, Levine used many of her journalistic skills, engaging in interviews with key figures and examining historical documents. Much of this research is reflected in the structure of the story’s narrative and the inclusion of multiple photographs and primary source documents in the text. Levine’s thoughtful crafting of this story has helped bring Hana’s story to thousands of children and adults, and she has continued to receive recognition for her important contribution to Holocaust education.

One of the central figures in Hana’s Suitcase, Fumiko Ishioka is the director of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center. Described and pictured as a “slender young woman with long black hair” (5), Fumiko is the driving force behind the discovery of Hana Brady’s story.