This is a deeply moving show with Harry Cunnane, the co-author of Under Our Roof, a brilliant and compelling book on dealing with addiction and the journey to recovery. Harry is incredibly transparent here and courageous as he openly shares his journey.
Harry Cunnane has been an active member of the addiction recovery community since his recovery began more than seven years ago. Harry participates in a twelve-step program and volunteers at rehabs and jails around Philadelphia to spread a message of hope. Harry now works as a resource director for the same treatment center where he originally sought help for his own addiction. He lives in Audubon, New Jersey with his wife, Juliet, his daughter, Aubrey, and their son, Sawyer.
When Madeleine Dean discovered that her son, Harry, was stealing from the family to feed a painkiller addiction, she was days away from taking the biggest risk of her life: running for statewide office in Pennsylvania. For years, she had sensed something was wrong. Harry was losing weight and losing friends. He had lost the brightness in his eyes and voice, changing from a young boy with boundless enthusiasm to a shadow of himself, chasing something she could not see. Now, her worst fears had come to light.
Under Our Roof is the story of a national crisis suffered in the intimacy of so many homes, told with incredible candor through the dual perspectives of a mother rising in politics and a son living a double life, afraid of what would happen if his secret were exposed. In this bracing, uplifting memoir, they discuss the patterns of a family dealing with an unspoken disease, the fear that keeps addicts hiding in shame, and the moments of honesty, faith, and personal insight that led to Harry’s recovery.
In a country searching for answers to the devastating effects of opioids and drug abuse, Under Our Roof is a ray of hope in the darkness. It is not only a love story between mother and son but an honest account of a pressing national crisis by a family poised to affect change.
Madeleine Dean is the Congresswoman for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania, suburban Philadelphia, a member of the House Judiciary and House Financial Services Committees, and vice chair of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus. From 2012 to 2018, she served in the Pennsylvania House. From 2001 to 2011, she taught writing at La Salle University, and her writing has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News, and other regional publications. She and her husband, PJ Cunnane, live in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren.
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5 stars pod cast, thank you very much for your honesty Harry, I know it’s not easy but the rewards are plentiful, God Bless you and your family