by Catherine Underhill Fitzpatrick

“A powerful story about resilience and the importance of emotional connections when called upon to brave overwhelming stress.” — George Faller, FDNY Lieutenant (ret.), Licensed Marital and Family Therapist, Author of Sacred Stress

“My colleague at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Catherine Fitzpatrick, is a gifted writer, reporter, and author with a descriptive writing style, and the ability to convey emotions, hers and others. I deeply appreciated our shared story-telling during the week of 9/11 in New York. We powered through the pain to bring out a world-changing story even as we dealt with the emotional trauma of those tragic days.” — Richard Wood, Staff Photographer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, retired

“For those who never penned their life’s story because it would be painfully dull, Recorder of Deeds will confirm you made the right decision. This memoir by a lover of words presents a family far more interesting than fictional characters!” — Anita B. Lamont, Former Features Editor, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Retired Senior Director Communications, Charter Communications

“My sister is a storyteller. This story of hers, of ours, is heartwarming, heart-rending, honest, and true down to the last detail. I know. I was there for much of it.” — Kenneth James Underhill, Catherine Underhill Fitzpatrick’s brother

“What is it like to stand near Ground Zero on 9/11, watching the Twin Towers dissolve into dust and debris even as you and your siblings survive the weight of multiple deaths, mental illness, drug addiction, and more? In Recorder of Deeds, an award-winning journalist answers that question in gut-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting detail. At a time when our world has ‘razor-sharp edges,’ Fitzpatrick shows us that ‘the heart is a wondrous thing.’  ” — Karla Linn Merrifield, Poet and Author, Psyche’s Scroll, Athabaskan Fractal: Poems of the Far North

“Good times, bad times and all those times in between are the threads that weave the tapestry of our lives. In her new memoir, Catherine unravels the threads of her life to bravely share her experiences, some of them devastating, but many simply glorious.” — Karen K. Marshall, Former editor, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Retired Director, Industry Relations, The Monsanto Company

“Recorder of Deeds presents a verbal picture that forces the reader to care for Catherine and her family. The details of major events and minor are told with an amazing attention to detail that makes you believe you are there, sometimes right in the hospital room with her. Her recounting of experiences of covering the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and the positives and negatives of family life produce a fascinating and enjoyable read.” — Lowell W. Gerson, Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University

“In this era of ubiquitous memoirs, here is one you should read. Catherine Underhill Fitzpatrick took a ten-year slice of her life and, being the clear-eyed journalist she is, chronicled professional awards and an embarrassing fall from grace, family heartache and discord, and her on-the-scene experiences with the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. Eminently readable, Recorder of Deeds is a full-throttle dash through a decade that leaves the reader a bit dizzy and wondering how the writer maintained her sanity.” — Damien Jaques, Reporter and arts critic, retired, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“In Recorder of Deeds, Catherine takes us along on her ten-year journey, a story that reveals the resilience of the human spirit and the universal truth that family is the tie that binds. With a fine eye for detail and lushly written observations, Fitzpatrick grabs our attention in the opening sentences and leaves us sputtering, ‘Tell me more.’” — Carol S. Cole, Former Features Editor, St. Louis Globe Democrat

“Reading Recorder of Deeds is akin to taking a long walk through the highs and lows, the triumphs and losses that make up a life well lived. Here is a woman who faces a mirror of memories without a blink. To open her life to others, many of whom she will never meet, is an act of courage. Any and all who join her story will see reflections of their own lives. It is a comfort to know that none of us is alone during the struggles and joys of living.” — Miles Goodwin, Contributing essayist, This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

“Recorder of Deeds is a compelling page turner. Catherine is expert at capturing the sights, sounds and imagery of everything she describes, and the storytelling of her presence at the events of 9/11 is breathtaking. This memoir is clear evidence of Catherine’s rich and full life.” — Debra Valentina, Author of Beyond Chaos: Journey to Freedom and Joy

“Recorder of Deeds lovingly and richly chronicles the history of a family and, beyond that, a slice of America. Catherine’s well-crafted prose makes this memoir a compelling read.” — Kathleen Arenz, Former Columnist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Past President, Woman’s Club of Wisconsin

"Difficult memoir revisions delved deep into author’s PTSD after witnessing 9/11"  The Colorado Sun