Although there is some question about the origin of the name of the geographic area of Springfield, Massachusetts known as Hungry Hill, two words could not more aptly describe the uphill journey of Carole O'Malley through the emotional hunger that characterized her adolescent years. Throughout her memoir, O'Malley documents the cravings she experienced for the normalcy of other families as well as her desire for emotionally available parents. She climbs a proverbial hill as she overcomes trial after trial, going above and beyond the turmoils of typical teenage angst as she deals with the deaths of both her parents, their alcoholism, verbal and emotional abuse by a stepparent and the trials that come from living in a family with eight children.

O'Malley's willingness to share her often painfully personal memories and her ability to vividly recall her own vulnerability as a young person allows readers the opportunity to see Carole as she makes choices regarding who and / or what circumstances she will allow to define her. While the saying "children become what they know" is often true, in this case "we are the sum of our choices" holds equally true. O'Malley is able to survive and thrive despite her difficult beginning.