"At last my heart's an open door"

Secret Loves + Lies + Longings + Love + Losses + Gains = Life. A personal narrative about womanhood

Abstract

This is Juliet Spencer’s story – a woman’s life spanning 80 years. After five decades in Norway, she returns to her native Australia for six weeks. Her goal is not only to reconnect with family and friends but to speak uninterrupted English. Having moved to Norway as a newlywed in 1971, Juliet—now a widow and mother to a bilingual daughter—longs to reclaim the linguistic and literary finesse she once possessed. The journey stirs memories and reflections on identity, belonging, and cultural assimilation.

The narrative unfolds in two parts, with 20 chapters and an epilogue. It traces Juliet’s path from a childhood marked by World War II fears in the Pacific, through adolescence shaped by loss, to a life filled with roles: daughter, sister, student, wife, mother, researcher, author, and retiree. She explores themes of body, soul, sensuality, faith and doubt, ambition and disappointment. Music, a lifelong companion, gives each chapter its song title.

Deeply personal yet universally relevant, the story resonates with those working with human lives and crises. It concludes in Britain, where Juliet uncovers her roots and envisions her life as a vibrant tapestry—woven with light and dark threads, bound by love, meaning, and a profound “sense of coherence” (Antonovsky, 1979).