Everyone loves a good story. Whether it’s a funny story, a life story, a horror story, or a cautionary tale, stories have a way of captivating a person indescribably.

But there is nothing better than a story about perseverance, strength, courage, determination, and bravery which is exactly what I Called Her Mary: A Memoir written by Margaret Gorman and Thomas Gorman is about.

The memoir follows Peg O’Hagan and her life journey with teen pregnancy, new beginnings, love, fate, and family. Peg O’Hagan, who is Mrs.Gorman’s mother, is the embodiment of strength and courage.

Through her life and some of the most difficult moments she never once gave up or lost faith which is a lesson that anyone who reads this book should walk away and live their life with.

I recently had the privilege of speaking to Mrs. Margaret Gorman and asked her some questions about the book and the writing process. 

The Clarion: What inspired you to write this book?

Margaret Gorman: The inspiration for writing this book was the complete courage and bravery of my mother Peg O’Hagan. My husband Tom Gorman is a former history teacher and wanted to record my mom’s story for our family to always have and to pass it along to future generations. 

The Clarion: In your book, you mentioned that your mother told you the full story your sophomore year of college. What was your initial reaction while hearing her story? Did it change the way you viewed her?

Margaret Gorman: My mother told me about her situation and my sister when I was 20 years old…at that time I was going through some hardships of my own and my mother, in her amazing grace, shared her pain to ease my pain like she always did for me. This only made me love her and respect her more. She continues to amaze me every day.

The Clarion: What aspect of your mother’s story made you realize that this is a story that everyone should read…and know?

Margaret Gorman: The story was very personal and somewhat painful for my mom to tell at the time which is why it took her five years to actually give in to my husband to share her story. And like everything that brings us pain, the more you share it, the less power it has over you. And I believe the more people that know my mom and her courage the better life will be…she is truly the greatest person I’ve ever known.

The Clarion: Did you feel any sort of pressure when it came to telling your mother’s story? As in, did you feel any pressure to get it right and make her proud?

Margaret Gorman: My husband Tom did feel a little pressure in regards to getting the story right. He only wanted the best for my mother and father and the initial intention was only for our family. Like everything Tom does, it’s thorough, definitive, and always excellent! And the bond that he has with my mom is even more special that he was able to put this project together.

The Clarion: Do you have a particular memory of writing this book that would you like to share?

Margaret Gorman: I remember as my husband was interviewing my mom, me being (and still am)very protective of my mother, Tom would ask her questions about her past and I could see it was difficult for her to recall those days, but then her strength always came through! And it will always win. And that’s what I always think of when we refer to this book, I called her Mary… My mother’s love, her selflessness, and her courage! She never gave in to her plight…she only became stronger. One of the special things about doing this book for my husband (and for all of us) is that my husband was able to record my mom‘s voice as he interviewed her over time sharing stories, sitting with her in our living room both laughing and crying about her past. So to be able to have my mom‘s voice on tape, especially now that she has dementia, is more than a gift that we would ever realize.

The Clarion: What was the process of being a self-published author like?

Margaret Gorman: My husband self-published his book because he was denied by many different publishers. It took him about five years of putting my mom‘s words to paper and it was all out of love and respect for our family. Tom deserves all of the accolades that are happening right now because without him none of this craziness and attention towards my mom‘s journey would exist outside of our own family. Again the more people I can share my mom with I believe the better off we all are. She is a constant inspiration not only to me, but to everyone she meets. If she can help anyone with her own personal struggle then this book is a blessing to everybody. 

The Clarion: On Goodreads and Amazon this book has tons of great reviews, Congratulations, what has been your reaction to this praise?

Margaret Gorman: To see and read all of the amazing reviews about this book has been overwhelming. The positive response from our friends and strangers that have read this book and have touched their hearts is truly nothing short of a miracle. The idea that this book has transcended across the pond, as they would say, to Europe and Australia and other parts of our tri-state area and this country is more than we ever even dreamed of. So for people to reach out and share their own thoughts about this book and that it has changed their lives in some way whether it is through tears of joy or reaching out to family members is truly a gift. 

The Clarion: Anything else you would like to share with The Clarion?

Margaret Gorman: I would like to thank the Hawthorne High School Clarion for reaching out to me and my family to be able to share our story with all of our fellow Bears. We bleed blue and Hawthorne is truly our home. My brothers and I represent the classes of 79, 81, 82, and 87 and we will always be proud to be a Bear. 

I would personally  like to thank Mrs. Margaret Gorman for taking the time to answer my questions. Many congratulations to her and her husband, Mr.Thomas Gorman, on the book and the wonderful success it has had so far. This is a story that I believe everyone should read. If anyone is interested the book is available on Amazon, the Louis Bay 2nd Public Library and our very own library here at HHS.

Peg O’Hagan is truly a remarkable woman and a hero and I would like to once again thank Mrs. Margaret Gorman and Mr.Thomas Gorman for sharing her story with us!