Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. FINALIST: National Book Critics Circle’s Award In Autobiography and John Leonard Prize For Best First Book īorn to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom.ONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR.NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW an act of courage and self-invention.”- The New York Times One of the most acclaimed books of our time: an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University.It is a story of resiliency, courage, and hope.#1 NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER OverallĮducated is a beautifully written, moving memoir that should be on everyone’s to-read list. The not so goodįor once, I cannot think of something that could have been improved. Her story shows that even in the darkest of times, one can find hope. She had the courage to defy her family and leave behind everything she ever knew in order to change her life. In spite of all of the hardships that she encountered, she kept pushing forward and was able to achieve her goal. What stood out to me the most, however, is Tara herself. Moving linearly from childhood to adulthood, each story is built upon the context established by previous chapters. The structure of the book also aids the narrative’s progression. Unlike some memoirs that include seemingly superfluous descriptions, everything in Educated feels purposeful and helps to move the narrative forward. Each story, each chapter, and even each word feels deliberate. She also does not shy away from discussing such personal subjects as the psychological toll of the abuse she withstood. Throughout the book, she strives to deliver an unbiased account of events, going so far as to include footnotes that detail how her memory of a given event differed from that of another family member.
Tara endured both physical and verbal abuse at the hands of family members and saw her education, as well as her overall wellbeing, neglected by her parents. Educated, however, bucked this trend: it not only met but surpassed my expectations.Įducated is a raw, emotional, and at times, heartbreaking account of Tara Westover’s life. Oftentimes, such a book fails to live up to the anticipation surrounding it, and I am left with a sense of disappointment upon finishing it. I am always a bit apprehensive to read books that are as hyped as Educated.
As Tara’s life increasingly diverted from her former life in Idaho, she struggled to keep one foot in both worlds. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Tara went on to receive both a Master’s and Doctorate from Cambridge University, as well as a fellowship at Harvard University. After one of her siblings moved away to attend college, Tara decided to follow in his footsteps, teaching herself years’ worth of material in order to attain a high enough mark on her ACTs to be accepted into college. Forced to work alongside her father in the family’s scrapyard, Tara was regularly placed in harm’s way due to her father’s flagrant disregard for safety protocols, and when one of her older brothers became violent, her safety was threatened even more.
#Educated memoir professional#
Their distrust extended to the medical establishment, which resulted in neither Tara nor her siblings receiving professional medical care in routine or urgent situations. Distrustful of the government, her parents prevented her and her siblings from entering the public schools but also failed to provide consistent homeschooling. The book begins with her childhood in rural Idaho, where she lived with her strict Mormon family. In Educated, Tara Westover recounts the hardships she overcame to receive her education.
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