Letters From Clara with Janet Newman

The Wisconsin History Makers Tour will bring history directly to local communities in every region of the state through pop-up exhibits, artifact displays, public programs, art installations, and other activities.  

In 1936 YWCA member Clara Pagel set off from Wausau, Wisconsin 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.

Janet Newman, author of Letters from Clara: One Intrepid Woman’s Travels on the Eve of War, 1936-1939, 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. In her retirement, Janet and her husband split their time between Wisconsin’s Northwoods and St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.

The History Makers Tour is presented by Culver's and is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Grant Number: MA-253159-OMS-23.