Part Two of On the Shore (see NOVELS) opens with Dev Levinson, age 12, getting her period for the first time. Researching the book’s era (1917-1925), I discovered that Lister’s Towels were the first feminine sanitary pads, manufactured in 1896 by Johnson & Johnson. Kotex was launched in 1920 by Kimberly-Clark to make use of leftover cellucotton (wood pulp fiber) from World War One bandages. Before commercial sanitary pads were available, women wore and washed rags, which is where the expression “on the rag” comes from. Read more in BEHIND THE STORY.
