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You Could Not Make This Up, Even if You Tried: Book Three of Social Work Memoirs
In this third book of the Social Work Memoirs series, I once again reflected on the faces of the people I had known, interacted with, and hopefully helped over the years. I did it to try to uplift those who are social workers themselves and to help others who don’t understand a little bit more about the mindset of social work. If I can bring a smile to your face, or make you stop and consider what I did that you could do better, I think it will have proven worthwhile to have written. If I convince someone that they want to join the ranks and see the world a different way, that’s fabulous. Once again, names have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty, and I promise you won’t find anything more fascinating than true life in our world.
I thank people for their many responses to books one and two; some of those have been fun to read, and perhaps more flattering than I here are some I saw “If you liked the first book, you will enjoy this sequel with interesting, informative, encouraging stories of people being helped. The personal achievements of the author are awesome / amazing. A very worthwhile narrative!”
“I could read more of MS Pelton's memoirs. From her first book to this one, I was brought into her world. Highly recommended.”
“Tears …yes, heartwarming…yes, Traveler Pelton shares her memories of being a social worker. While the job has rewards, it also has a lot of heartbreak. These precious children deserve more. Thankfully many get what they need to become responsible adults, and are able to shine, unfortunately some do not get that chance. Wonderful social workers and foster parents who go above and beyond for the love of the children, I commend you 1000+ times. . I learned a lot from this book. The rules and regulations are there to help the children and the parents, but sometimes that is what gets in the way. Thank you to Traveler for sharing your memories, the good, bad and the ugly. You are opening eyes.”
“This memoir is an interesting, informative, impressive narrative with spectacular writing and prudent / profound perspectives! I was mesmerized by the entire content and have already ordered the sequel. Awesome and amazing bio of phenomenal achievements that are beautifully narrated.”
“You Can't Make This Stuff Up was my first book I have read by J.T. Pelton however, it won't be my last. If you want to get a peek into the life of a social worker and the clients they work with this is a book for you. I enjoyed the short chapter format and how Pelton keeps you engaged through out the book, upon finishing I just downloaded another of her titles, give her books a try you won't be disappointed.”
Thank you everyone who read the first two books, hope the third does not disappoint. Thank you for your reviews; they help me to imagine a world where there aren’t grammar errors! I love you all. I am certain you will enjoy this third book. Get your copy now, curl up with some good coffee in a quiet place, and I hope it makes you smile. Blessings.
I thank people for their many responses to books one and two; some of those have been fun to read, and perhaps more flattering than I here are some I saw “If you liked the first book, you will enjoy this sequel with interesting, informative, encouraging stories of people being helped. The personal achievements of the author are awesome / amazing. A very worthwhile narrative!”
“I could read more of MS Pelton's memoirs. From her first book to this one, I was brought into her world. Highly recommended.”
“Tears …yes, heartwarming…yes, Traveler Pelton shares her memories of being a social worker. While the job has rewards, it also has a lot of heartbreak. These precious children deserve more. Thankfully many get what they need to become responsible adults, and are able to shine, unfortunately some do not get that chance. Wonderful social workers and foster parents who go above and beyond for the love of the children, I commend you 1000+ times. . I learned a lot from this book. The rules and regulations are there to help the children and the parents, but sometimes that is what gets in the way. Thank you to Traveler for sharing your memories, the good, bad and the ugly. You are opening eyes.”
“This memoir is an interesting, informative, impressive narrative with spectacular writing and prudent / profound perspectives! I was mesmerized by the entire content and have already ordered the sequel. Awesome and amazing bio of phenomenal achievements that are beautifully narrated.”
“You Can't Make This Stuff Up was my first book I have read by J.T. Pelton however, it won't be my last. If you want to get a peek into the life of a social worker and the clients they work with this is a book for you. I enjoyed the short chapter format and how Pelton keeps you engaged through out the book, upon finishing I just downloaded another of her titles, give her books a try you won't be disappointed.”
Thank you everyone who read the first two books, hope the third does not disappoint. Thank you for your reviews; they help me to imagine a world where there aren’t grammar errors! I love you all. I am certain you will enjoy this third book. Get your copy now, curl up with some good coffee in a quiet place, and I hope it makes you smile. Blessings.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2025
44 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 5, 2025
The Review
This was an insightful, compelling, and emotionally charged read. The author writes with an honesty and depth that homes in on the life of social workers. The writing style does a great job of balancing almost conversational writing with a more natural, nonfiction storytelling style that relates the author’s experiences in a straightforward yet engaging way.
The heart of this book was in the emotional depth of the stories being told and the humanity behind each story. The author touches upon both humorous, heartfelt, and heartbreaking tales as she experienced everything from false reports from unruly neighbors, chilling cases of abuse, and so much more. The variety of stories she delves into is also unique, as she shares moments of personal meetings with clients, house calls, and much more.
The Verdict
Thoughtful, insightful, and personally written, author J. Traveler Pelton’s “You Could Not Make This Up, Even If You Tried” is a must-read nonfiction memoir and a great addition to the series. An emotional and in-depth exploration of the world of social workers and their experiences, as well as the perspectives of those who work with social workers, the book offers a fresh and honest discussion surrounding social work. It provides a valuable insight into what it takes to keep families together and what people should avoid doing if they want to be part of those families.
This was an insightful, compelling, and emotionally charged read. The author writes with an honesty and depth that homes in on the life of social workers. The writing style does a great job of balancing almost conversational writing with a more natural, nonfiction storytelling style that relates the author’s experiences in a straightforward yet engaging way.
The heart of this book was in the emotional depth of the stories being told and the humanity behind each story. The author touches upon both humorous, heartfelt, and heartbreaking tales as she experienced everything from false reports from unruly neighbors, chilling cases of abuse, and so much more. The variety of stories she delves into is also unique, as she shares moments of personal meetings with clients, house calls, and much more.
The Verdict
Thoughtful, insightful, and personally written, author J. Traveler Pelton’s “You Could Not Make This Up, Even If You Tried” is a must-read nonfiction memoir and a great addition to the series. An emotional and in-depth exploration of the world of social workers and their experiences, as well as the perspectives of those who work with social workers, the book offers a fresh and honest discussion surrounding social work. It provides a valuable insight into what it takes to keep families together and what people should avoid doing if they want to be part of those families.
January 11, 2026
Everyday life in the world's strangest profession.
Everyone should be a social worker for at least one week. There's no other way to discover the oddities that go on around us all the time, with most of us totally unaware of them. OK, teachers see a lot, but most teachers can only guess about home situations from the way a child is behaving in class. Home visits by teachers are a thing of the past.
Cops see much more, but no one (not even the law-abiding) is really open and truthful when the uniforms are there. We all fear we have something to hide, so we tell them what we think they want to hear. Dealing with so many tragedies on a regular basis and knowing the limitations of the justice system to "heal" broken families, police officers learn to look the other way on all but the most urgent of cases.
Social workers see the families at home and keep probing until the get the whole story. They learn about all the relatives and see the destructive patterns passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes a particularly intelligent, sensitive family member will see those patterns, too, and work to change them. Sometimes the family prefers to continue doing what they've always done. Even if the bad results are obvious.
There are parents who are unwilling to parent. Others are unable to parent because of mental illness or drug abuse. Do you remove the child (children) from the home? Many times it's necessary, but what then? There aren't enough good foster families and placing a child with a relative MAY be a good solution or it may be a disaster.
The stories in this book are just a sample of what a social worker in a small Ohio town deals with every day. Some turn out well. The teenage girl who was assaulted at school finally saw some measure of justice. Her family learned they have rights, even if their way of living is unconventional. Maybe some teachers and social workers learned not to be too quick to stereotype.
Some, like the small girl forced by her mother to become the parent of a large, unruly brood of children, seem unfixable. There are ways out, but the little girl has already assumed the burden and she can't break out of the pattern her mother has forced her into. The mother is satisfied with the status quo and has no intention of changing. What will the child's life be like in the future?
I loved the story of the eager-beaver HR assistant who decided the department's only "minority" (the author, a very pale Native American) should be pushed front and center to hide the fact that the agency HAS no minority social workers and isn't doing anything to change that. It's always easier to pretty things up than to do the work necessary for real change.
There are families who have are struggling to survive, brought low by medical bills or lack of education. Minimum wage workers live in hope of getting ahead, but the economic system works against them. If they get a ten percent raise, it's because the cost of living has gone up twenty percent. It's easy to say, get more schooling or training so you can make more. It's not so easy to do it when you're simply trying to survive.
Other problems are self-inflicted through addiction or bad decisions. Some women are still looking for the fairy tale prince or the exciting bad boy. The constant change in "daddies" is hard on their children, but they don't see it or don't care. Other families hold themselves back because they've never grown up. Success in the adult world means acting like an adult and some folks can't let of their need to rebel against authority. Refusing to follow reasonable rules is normal in a teen, but disastrous in someone who's taken on adult responsibilities.
The stories are all over the board - happy, tragic, bizarre, irritating, etc, but they reflect social conditions that most middle class people never see. It's an eye-opener.
Everyone should be a social worker for at least one week. There's no other way to discover the oddities that go on around us all the time, with most of us totally unaware of them. OK, teachers see a lot, but most teachers can only guess about home situations from the way a child is behaving in class. Home visits by teachers are a thing of the past.
Cops see much more, but no one (not even the law-abiding) is really open and truthful when the uniforms are there. We all fear we have something to hide, so we tell them what we think they want to hear. Dealing with so many tragedies on a regular basis and knowing the limitations of the justice system to "heal" broken families, police officers learn to look the other way on all but the most urgent of cases.
Social workers see the families at home and keep probing until the get the whole story. They learn about all the relatives and see the destructive patterns passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes a particularly intelligent, sensitive family member will see those patterns, too, and work to change them. Sometimes the family prefers to continue doing what they've always done. Even if the bad results are obvious.
There are parents who are unwilling to parent. Others are unable to parent because of mental illness or drug abuse. Do you remove the child (children) from the home? Many times it's necessary, but what then? There aren't enough good foster families and placing a child with a relative MAY be a good solution or it may be a disaster.
The stories in this book are just a sample of what a social worker in a small Ohio town deals with every day. Some turn out well. The teenage girl who was assaulted at school finally saw some measure of justice. Her family learned they have rights, even if their way of living is unconventional. Maybe some teachers and social workers learned not to be too quick to stereotype.
Some, like the small girl forced by her mother to become the parent of a large, unruly brood of children, seem unfixable. There are ways out, but the little girl has already assumed the burden and she can't break out of the pattern her mother has forced her into. The mother is satisfied with the status quo and has no intention of changing. What will the child's life be like in the future?
I loved the story of the eager-beaver HR assistant who decided the department's only "minority" (the author, a very pale Native American) should be pushed front and center to hide the fact that the agency HAS no minority social workers and isn't doing anything to change that. It's always easier to pretty things up than to do the work necessary for real change.
There are families who have are struggling to survive, brought low by medical bills or lack of education. Minimum wage workers live in hope of getting ahead, but the economic system works against them. If they get a ten percent raise, it's because the cost of living has gone up twenty percent. It's easy to say, get more schooling or training so you can make more. It's not so easy to do it when you're simply trying to survive.
Other problems are self-inflicted through addiction or bad decisions. Some women are still looking for the fairy tale prince or the exciting bad boy. The constant change in "daddies" is hard on their children, but they don't see it or don't care. Other families hold themselves back because they've never grown up. Success in the adult world means acting like an adult and some folks can't let of their need to rebel against authority. Refusing to follow reasonable rules is normal in a teen, but disastrous in someone who's taken on adult responsibilities.
The stories are all over the board - happy, tragic, bizarre, irritating, etc, but they reflect social conditions that most middle class people never see. It's an eye-opener.
September 9, 2025
I love the stories from this book. Some are heartwarming and some are heartbreaking, and some are literally ridiculous and funny. Author J. Traveler Pelton has been a social worker for many years and she shares some of the stories that she has seen. Each family that goes through the system has a different story, and each story ends differently, some learn what to do to keep their families together and some, don’t. This book is very informative and entertaining.
October 30, 2025
This is a delightful book with touching stories from the author's experience in social work. The accounts are both heartbreaking and insightful into human behavior. I am grateful that there are loving people in this emotional and necessary work.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews