Description

Marathon County Historical Society and Janke Book Store welcome author Janet Newman to the Woodson History Center, discussing her new book, Letters from Clara: One Intrepid Woman's Travels on the Eve of War, 1936-1939. Books will be available for purchase and signing. In 1936 YWCA member Clara Pagel set off from Wausau on what would become a three-year world tour, traveling extensively throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe as the world headed towards war. A fascinating collection of letters to her YWCA friends back home documented her many adventures, as Clara witnessed history in the making and described the bombing of Shanghai, Italy under Mussolini, India during one of Gandhi’s hunger strikes, and an earthquake in Manila. Now, in Letters from Clara, author Janet Newman vividly brings Clara life and letters to light, offering the story of a remarkable, independent woman on an unexpected but fulfilling journey to learn about the world and herself. In her retirement, Janet Newman participates in four book clubs and a writers’ circle. Her writing, which shines a light on fascinating people, has appeared in the anthology Mondays at Ten and various news publications. Janet and her husband split their time between Wisconsin’s Northwoods and St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.