Was Molly Autumn's aunt (father's sister) or great-aunt? Was Ella Autumn's aunt? How was Ella related to Autumn? How did Autumn's parents die?
shareI don't know how her mother died, but her father was killed in the mines.
Mattiesmimi
I don't know if you are still interested in the answers nine years later, but here it goes:
The movie is very vague about all their relationships but does state that Autumn's father died in a mine cave in.
The book takes a different approach: Aunt Molly is the sister of Autumn's father. The age difference between them isn't specified. Aunt Molly remains alive throughout the entire book. When Autumn becomes rich Aunt Molly serves as her personal maid. Autumn's mother dies in childbirth with her. Her father is a drifter who leaves Autumn with Aunt Molly while he goes off the seek his fortune. He claims he'll return in a year. Instead, two months later, he gets drunk and dies when he steps in front of a moving car. Although in the movie Autumn calls Ella "Aunt Ella" there doesn't appear to be any familial relationship between the two in either the book or the movie.