A small town childhood of mysteries and secrecy in the years after one war. Discovering new worlds as a student at the Ontario College of Art during a second war. Marriage, betrayal, divorce and an artistic career as one of Canada’s foremost printmakers.

Jo Manning’s Etched in Time is a memoir of a remarkable life. Tragedies and triumphs, successes and setbacks, all catalogued with honesty and insight.

But this is more than one woman’s story. Manning offers an insightful look at life - especially for women and artists - in the last half of the 20th Century. She catalogues the challenges and opportunities, charts the changing times and shares her experiences as part of a new generation of Canadian artists challenging traditions.

Etched in Time is both memoir and history. It’s a look back at nine decades, delivered with candour, wisdom and the sharp eye of an artist.

Jo Manning’s life in art spans more than five decades and has brought international recognition as one of Canada’s foremost etchers. Born in Sidney, B.C., in 1923, she moved as a child to Amherstburg, Ont. Manning studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto during the Second World War and returned there in 1960 to study etching. She turned to painting in oils and watercolour in 1980 when the toxic chemicals used in etching threatened her health. This book shares memories of the people she encountered when exhibiting her work, teaching and following her many diverse interests. Her life touched so many - German Jewish refugees, Japanese Canadian internees, union organizers and artists, actors and poets. Jo Manning received many awards for printmaking, including a Gold Medal in Florence and a Medal of Honour in Frechen, Germany. Her work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Windsor and many more public and private collections. She has four children, and is the author of two books. She currently lives in a senior’s residence in Victoria, B.C.