As a child, Carole O’Malley Gaunt suffered a series of tragedies in life that left her well aware of the meaning of the word “survivor.” In the years since, she has also come to understand the uniquely Irish ability which enabled her to “make molehills out of mountains.”Â
The second of eight children and only girl in an Irish Catholic family, Gaunt grew up in a predominately Irish section of Springfield, Mass. known as “Hungry Hill.” In 1959, when Gaunt was 13, her mother died of cancer. After his wife died, her father, a charming man with a serious alcohol addiction, turned to his only daughter to fill the void. Gaunt found herself playing the role of mother to seven brothers, the youngest of whom was just two years old at the time, while caring for her father as well. Within three years, he was dead as well.
Tonight, Thursday, March 19 at 6 p.m., Gaunt will be at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor for a reading and discussion about her memoir “Hungry Hill.” The book, which contrasts Gaunt’s childhood difficulties at home with her optimistic public face, was published by the University of Massachusetts Press in 2007. Since its release, Gaunt, a Sag Harbor resident, has found that the book has struck a chord with many readers.
“There’s a lot about alcohol in the book,” says Gaunt. “I’ve done a lot of thinking and work along those lines.”Â
For Gaunt, growing up revolved around secrets — how dysfunctional families function behind closed doors and the efforts they take to keep those secrets from prying eyes and ears. Gaunt never knew her mother was dying — neither did her mother for that matter. Gaunt’s father, an insurance adjuster, managed to work up until two days before his own death. As a teenager, Gaunt struggled to save up to buy the stylish clothes and accessories that she was expected to own.
“I always wanted to share [the book] with the rest of the world,” says Gaunt. “The message is, you can tell your stories.”Â
After the book came out, Gaunt began getting calls and letters from readers who told her they, too, grew up with family secrets.
“A retired cop read my book, and called me in New York,” says Gaunt. “He was a good friend of my younger brother’s and he said, ‘I used to go to bed every night and pray my father would die.’”
“His father was angry and abusive,” she adds. “When someone opens up, you wonder if he ever talked to anyone about this before.”
Besides being cathartic personally and for others, “Hungry Hill” has also turned Gaunt into something of a celebrity back in Springfield. Every high school classmate she wrote about in the book has been back in touch with her — except, she notes curiously, her prom dates.Â
Book events in the area have also been well attended, and at one reading, Gaunt notes that when she asked, “How many women here dated one of my brothers?” five hands went in the air.Â
“Then I asked, ‘How many of you wanted to date one of my brothers?’ and 20 more hands went up,” laughed Gaunt. “It’s been so much fun. I’m a rock star.”
But Gaunt notes the most gratifying event was at a Spring-field high school where “Hungry Hill” was on the reading list.
“That was a tremendous experience,” says Gaunt.
At first, she notes, the teacher suggested Gaunt talk about the writing process. But Gaunt soon realized from the students’ glazed expressions that it wasn’t the writing process they wanted to hear about.
“When I started talking about the family secrets and what you can do to prevent that family secret, they became very attentive,” says Gaunt who advocates openness and honesty — though with seven brothers, she admits that not everyone in the family is thrilled she wrote the book.
“I think it’s hard to tell your secrets and some of my siblings weren’t happy,” says Gaunt. “Some friends of my brothers came to a reading in Connecticut and I asked, ‘So how much experience with the police did you have?’’
“My brothers’ friends said, ‘You went easy on them.’”
Above: Carole O'Malley Gaunt
