Born to alcoholic parents in the early 1930s, Janice Wood Wetzel overcame a childhood full of abuse, a teenage pregnancy, a rocky marriage and alcoholism to become an established academic and advocate for women. Wood relays her story without self-pity, but with an eye toward gut-wrenching detail that makes this a memorable read. There are some structural and pacing issues, most noticeable in the book's meandering final third, but the memoir as a whole is worth reading.

In the memoir Sorrows and Songs, Janice Wood Wetzel's voice shines through as that of a strong woman despite the obstacles that were placed in her path. Her voice reflects the culture of the times she lived through, as well as that of her persona. The memoir begins in the Depression-era with her childhood and teenage years during which she suffered a lot of physical and mental abuse from her parents.. It continues with a promising college education that is not realized because of a twenty year marriage that was not fairy tale, and ends up with her spending time in a psychiatric hospital. During those times, and as well as through the World War II era and the 1950s and 1960s the societal norms of the times are reflected. Those of outward appearances being kept up at all costs. Those of women subjugating their lives for their husbands who have the final word. Wetzel overcomes these experiences in the early 1970s as she enters the field of social work where she has a successful and impactful career. This memoir was painful to read, and took courage to write.

Sorrows & Songs
One Lifetime - Many Lives
by Janice Wood Wetzel
Fullarton Press


Biographies & Memoirs
Pub Date 15 Dec 2015  

Janice Wood Wetzel Childhood was not typical from the time she was a yong child she faced loss, she endured abuse from her Mother, and Father who both had issues with alcohol, and she tried to forget about the unexpected bumps and bruises on her Mother, not wanting to admit her Father caused those abuse, her brother was so traumatized he would spend his life running away from the problems up until his death at 68, from Cancer.

By the time she was seventeen the family had moved fifteen times while her Father was transferred from one Ge Plant to another, and eventually after the loss of a great Aunt where the family inherited a sizeablr inheritance they would move to Altadena and her Father would quit his job at GE.

Before she finishes school she discovers she is five months pregnant, having gone all the way with a boy, and her parents send her to live with an Aunt, where she is soon hospitalized and nearly dies in childbirth, but instead of her Mother comforting her, she slaps her where the stitches all, causes excurating pain, and her Father would not even talk to her while she was in the hospital, eventhough she had nearly died.


At twenty eight, she would get a call from her Mother one night, she'd get a call saying her Father had committed suicide, and five months later her Mother would be dead too, after slipping in the shower, a bottle of alcohol found nearby.

In the meantime Jancie was dealing with her own failling marriage, her own issues with alcohol and a husband who was mean when he drank.

Their Father would win custody of the children, not unusaul during the time. After awhile Janice would come to fall in love with a woman, and awhile later she realizes she wants a man in her life once more and begins a relationship with a man but when she wants to get to serious, he decides to break the realationship off.

I give Sorrows & Songs foour out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

The adage truth is stranger than fiction definitely holds for this really very fascinating memoir. The author is extremely bright and articulate, not just in describing the emotional pain and happiness she has suffered/enjoyed but also in documenting her emotional and educational growth. Anyone who is interested in women, their journeys and the struggles of women throughout the world will find this book exciting!

Five stars Review! I would definitely recommend this book.