Jim’s mother went on to give him a suitcase filled with photographs, letters, and documents. Intrigued, Jim began to look for answers to his family’s history — and his own identity — by researching his genealogy, talking to previously unknown relatives, and examining the contents of his grandmother’s suitcase.


The uncovered family saga, ultimately stretching over 120 years and three continents, was more complicated than he’d ever imagined, leading him to explore aspects of world history he’d never understood. This presentation is adapted from a manuscript of a memoir-in-progress.