Margaux

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Lore & Background

Margaux Fragoso's early life was shaped by hardship. Her father, a Puerto Rican factory worker and later a security guard, had a short fuse and drank heavily. Her mother, of Swedish, Norwegian, and Irish descent, suffered from severe mental illness that required several hospitalizations. From the age of seven, Fragoso was groomed and sexually abused by a middle-aged man, given the pseudonym "Peter Curran" in her memoir—a predator who exploited her family's chaos. She attended New Jersey City University and then Binghamton University, earning a Ph.D. in 2007. Three years later, she published *Tiger, Tiger: A Memoir*, which became a bestseller, its pages a stark chronicle of manipulation and survival. Fragoso was married twice: first to Steve McGowan, with whom she had a daughter, and then in 2010 to Tom O'Connor. She died of ovarian cancer on June 23, 2017, at age 38.

In Their Own Story

Margaux Fragoso's life story is one of survival and creative expression. Born in 1979 in Union City, New Jersey, she grew up in a working-class home where her father's explosive temper and drinking, and her mother's severe mental illness, created a turbulent environment. At age seven, she was targeted by a man she later called Peter Curran, who groomed and sexually abused her for years—a slow, insidious theft of childhood. Despite this trauma, Fragoso pursued education, earning a Ph.D. from Binghamton University in 2009. Her memoir *Tiger, Tiger*, published in 2011, became a bestseller and laid bare the details of her abuse, offering a harrowing account of manipulation and resilience that left readers shaken. She married twice—first Steve McGowan (with whom she had a daughter) and then Tom O'Connor in 2010. Fragoso died of ovarian cancer in 2017 at age 38.

Reader's Guide

To understand Margaux Fragoso's impact, start with her memoir *Tiger, Tiger* (2011), which details her childhood abuse by a man she called Peter Curran and her path to adulthood. Key biographical facts: born April 15, 1979, in Union City, New Jersey; father was a Puerto Rican jeweler with a volatile temper and a drinking problem; mother was of Swedish, Norwegian, and Japanese descent and had severe mental illness requiring hospitalizations. Fragoso earned a Ph.D. in 2009 from Binghamton University. She was married twice—first to Steve McGowan (one daughter), then to Tom O'Connor (married 2010). She died of ovarian cancer on June 23, 2017, at age 38. Her work remains a significant, unflinching account of surviving long-term abuse—a testament to the cost of silence and the power of telling.

Did You Know?

• Margaux Fragoso's memoir *Tiger, Tiger* became a bestseller after its 2010 publication.
• She earned a Ph.D. from Binghamton University in 2007.
• Fragoso was of Puerto Rican, Swedish, Norwegian, and Irish descent.
• She was married twice: first to Steve McGowan, then to Tom O'Connor in 2010.
• Fragoso died of ovarian cancer on June 23, 2017, at age 38.