• Hana's Suitcase

  • A True Story
  • By: Karen Levine
  • Narrated by: Stephanie Wolfe
  • Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (366 ratings)

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Hana's Suitcase  By  cover art

Hana's Suitcase

By: Karen Levine
Narrated by: Stephanie Wolfe
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Publisher's summary

In March 2000, a suitcase arrived at a children's Holocaust education center in Tokyo, Japan. On the outside, in white paint, were these words: Hana Brady, May 16, 1931, and Waisenkind - the German word for orphan.

Children who saw the suitcase on display were full of questions. Who was Hana Brady? What happened to her? They wanted Fumiko Ishioka, the center's curator, to find the answers.

In a suspenseful journey, Fumiko searches for clues across Europe and North America. The mystery of the suitcase takes her back through 70 years, to a young Hana and her family, whose happy life in a small Czech town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis

©2007 Karen Levine (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Skillfully, and with great sensitivity, Levine weaves together the two stories, alternating that of a young life shattered in increments and that of Fumiko Ishioka's relentless search for answers." ( The Globe and Mail)

What listeners say about Hana's Suitcase

Average customer ratings
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Hana suitcase

Hana's suitcase is a touching story of sadness or joy.I hope every reader will love this heart warming and breaking book.

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Hana's Suitcase Review

I loved it. The story was very moving. The narrator did very well with the voices and emotions.

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars

Haven't Read and Probably Won't

I didn't realize this was juvenile fiction --- I've listened to quite a few young adult books that I've enjoyed, but the narrator on this one is young (sounds like it) and because of that it's difficult to listen to -- that young and perky narration doesn't work for me -- even though I'm sure it's a very good story (why I didn't want to give it a one star). I'm interested in Holocaust history, but this is one that I would have to read from a book, which probably won't happen.

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Important and moving story

This story should be shared. If history is to teach us we first must learn some hard and painful truths. This would be a good entry level into understanding the holocaust as it shares the heartbreaking realities without the gruesome details that might be too much for a young person to emotionally handle.

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heart-wrenching

I enjoyed listening to this book even though it seemed to come from an elementary school style since it was about a child in World War II Germany. It was heart-wrenching to learn of the end for so many dear children. 💔

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Beautifully told story

This was a great, but hard, quick listen about ab important topic. I love the way the author brought her story back around so that Hana was able to be the teacher she dreamt of being. Have tissues handy though.

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Highly recommend.....

Heart wrenching story with uplifting ending !!!!!! Thank you little wings !!!!!! Listen with the hope

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Remarkable

I do not know much about the Holocaust but this story told a lot. Hearing about how this little girl was torn from her family was awful. Being killed because she was small and no use to them was despicable. I am glad her brother got to learn of what was going on in Japan to give him a small peace of mind. In the end Hanna’s dream of being a teacher came true even through death.

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Heart-Wrenching Warning

This story is well told and well worth hearing. Today above all. IF THEY CAN DO IT TO A CHILD, THERES NOTHING THEY WONT STOOP TO.

Hate justifies atrocity. Truth and sunlight expose atrocity. But ever be on guard, because hate is too attractive to suppress for long.

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Amazing!

The way they act out the characters’ accents and and show emotion really helps people of all ages who have trouble reading to really dive into just imagining the text in ones mind.

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