About the Author:

James J. Cuddy was born in Endicott, NY, home of Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company and birthplace of IBM. He was raised in an Irish-American, Catholic, and Democratic household with his brother Dave. James entered the seminary at eighteen and went on to serve as a Catholic priest for sixteen years in parish ministry. However, in 1978 he resigned from the clergy and married.

In mid-life, James began a new career in human services. He worked in anti-poverty programs and administered group home services for seniors with mental health and developmental disabilities.

James has also been a devoted writer since childhood. His twelve freelance articles and two short stories have been published in national, regional, and local newspapers and magazines including the National Catholic Reporter, National Fisherman, The Irish Advocate, and Syracuse's Post Standard.

James is a member of the fifth generation of his family, but his stories span seven generations. The inspiration for this book came to him from a month-long tour of Ireland in 1999. To validate his roots, James hiked up the highest mountain on the island, MacGillycuddy's Reeks of County Kerry. The family name of Cuddy is derived directly from the name of these mountains.

In retirement, James lives happily with his wife Joyce in East Syracuse, NY.

About the book:

Worth Remembering is a collection of stories spanning seven generations of an Irish-American, Catholic, and Democratic family. James Cuddy, the designated family storyteller, narrates family events occurring from the Irish Famine to the present day.

With each generation, James skillfully handles the unfolding drama with humor, intellect, honesty, and integrity. His literary balance between the serious and the humorous takes the reader through an uplifting spiritual journey.

Having been a priest for sixteen years, James resigned and married Joyce. Still a devout member of the Catholic faith, James shares a unique perspective on the sex abuse crisis inside some of today's churches and offers sensitive suggestions for reform. He also provides a brief look at historical reforms in the Catholic Church.

More than a story, Worth Remembering is also a helpful guide to prospective family storytellers wishing to preserve and record family tales. The 10 how-to hints will assist genealogists and family storytellers through the process of writing their family tales.

Non-fiction, 170 pages.

www.BrundagePublishing.com

Capital Celtic Review:

Worth Remembering, written by James J Cuddy, is an outpouring of memories from a tender heart. Oh! Did I mention that Cuddy is an Irish-American?!

Anyone who appreciates his roots will be mesmerized by the tone and attitude of James Cuddy towards past generations of his family. One cannot help but examine the cobwebs of his own past while reading this upbeat book. The stories are intensely personal and mirror the types of tales that his readers might have rattling around in the attic of their family roots.

Cuddy does a good job of urging each of us to get busy documenting our own stories, stories that truly will be lost if we don’t write them down. Why would we involve ourselves in that sometimes laborious process? Because these tales, this family history, truly is “worth remembering.”

- Joy Healy