With A Heart Full of Love: Clara Taylor's Letters from Russia 1918-1919 Volume 2

Six YWCA women are attached to the North Russia Expeditionary Forces in Arkhangelsk, North Russia, from 1918 to 1919. Clara Taylors second year is different from her previous year in Moscow, as she dances with soldiers, reads to ill soldiers, and serves hot coffee on the front lines. She remains strong, courageous, and dedicated to her ideals of service, writing scathing commentary about the military command and the frozen landscape.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 26 July 2022
Publisher: She Writes Press

Six YWCA women join the North Russia Expeditionary Forces in Arkhangelsk, North Russia, from the fall of 1918 to the summer of 1919. This marks a significant shift in Clara Taylor's second year working for the YWCA in Russia, as she embarks on a new and challenging role.

Previously, Clara had been teaching home economics and conducting surveys of factory conditions in Moscow. However, her responsibilities now extend beyond these traditional roles. She finds herself engaging in various activities, including dancing with soldiers at parties, attending to ill soldiers in the hospital, and serving hot coffee to ragtag men on the front lines of the Vologda railroad front during the bitter Russian winter.

Throughout her time in Russia, Clara remains steadfast, courageous, and dedicated to her ideals of service. Even when faced with her own hospitalization for appendicitis, she does not let this setback hinder her from supporting others in an untenable situation. In her letters, Clara expresses her political views, criticizing the ineptitude of the military command. She also shares her observations of the frozen landscape, the breathtaking beauty of the northern lights, homesickness, the resilience of the Russian people, and the overwhelming joy of returning home to her family.

Clara's experiences in Russia serve as a testament to her strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Her dedication to serving others and her unwavering commitment to her ideals make her a remarkable figure in the history of the YWCA and the women's suffrage movement.

Dimension: 228 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781647423810