Educated

I have decidedly mixed feelings about this book.

It generated a lot of buzz when it was published, so some of you might already be familiar with it. I haven't dug into the general impressions about this book but I believe there might be a bit of controversy surrounding it, and specifically how Tara chooses to tell her story.

It's the biography of a young woman who grew up under a fundamentalist, survivalist, and extremely paranoid Mormon father in the rurals of Idaho, so cut off from society that the first time she heard about the Holocaust was in a college classroom, and that only after years of hardship and heartbreak as she worked to free herself from her parents' control.

It's written in a frank, open, but eloquent style that doesn't hold back, and it asks some hard, honest questions and prompts a great deal of thought. It wasn't easy to read (or, rather, to listen to), but it was incredibly intriguing.

Wow! What a beautiful and powerful memoir about the cycle of abuse, self-determination, and the power of education. Tara paints a raw picture of what her childhood was like and the emotional ramifications of trying to cope with it. It was dark and frustrating to read at times. How can so many oblivious and incompetent people around them enable this sort of behavior?

Inspiring and emotional, Educated is a book that will stick with me forever.

Too forgiving of organized religion

"dwarfed by the mountain, hushed by the wind"

A strong 3.8 of a book, insane family dynamic that almost permanently altered her life and thought patterns. Makes you more aware of the psychological reactions people have towards their authority figures.

I really didn't want to read this book. I'm not usually a fan of memoirs and I thought this book had way too much hype. But, my book club picked it out and since I started the book club, I figured I should be a good sport. I was blown away. I can't imagine growing up the way Tara did and still managing to earn a PhD. I think I hated nearly everyone in this book for enabling abuse and ignorance and chaos. Tara has extraordinary strength and self-conviction.

I was so fascinated by this book, I gave play-by-play recaps to my husband, my hair stylist, my coworkers, my relatives, my friends, random people at the grocery store. I also googled all the family members and their essential oils business. What can I say? I'm nosy.

This was...fine. I'm truly sorry for Westover's experiences as horrific as they were. I don't find them to be as unbelievable as some have and, bring familiar with LDS culture, I can see how her childhood trauma could have slipped through the cracks. That being said, I simply didn't enjoy the storytelling. I felt like Westover gives scant credit to anyone but herself for her ultimate educational success. While it may be true that she received no formal homeschooling, her two older brothers' examples of achieving higher education surely must have inspired and prepared her at least a little bit. I also find it difficult to completely accept all of her claims while simultaneously ignoring the many, many counter claims on the part of friends, family members, clergy, neighbors, etc who have come forward in defense of her family. As with any memoir, I imagine that the objective truth lies somewhere in the middle.

There’s so much to say, but more than anything, it has renewed my appreciation of and thankfulness for my education. It’s easy to assume that everyone operates off of the same baseline knowledge, but that’s not the reality in which a lot of people exist. This is a must read.

This book is riveting and disturbing. The author grew up unschooled and largely off the grid. Her father was a survivalist and conspiracy theorist; the kids worked in his junkyard with inadequate safety protection. Injuries were treated with herbs and faith rather than going to medical professionals. One of her brothers abused her physically and emotionally.

Eventually, she studies and goes off to university. After some really bumpy spots that have to do with not knowing how to fit in and not feeling that she belongs, she has some significant academic successes. Over the same span of time, she becomes estranged from much of her family as they close ranks with the abusive sibling.

This is an unusual life, well told, with honest and forthright examination of her own processes of growth and change. It was hard to put down but also an emotionally challenging read.

Content warning: abuse and neglect

This book was something. Coming from a homeschooled family that wasn't fucking crazy, Tara's story is one of the only images that come to peoples mind when you heard "homeschooled" in the 2010's.

So many of the spots in this book just disappointed, upset, and frustrated me.

Wow. I really got inspired with this book and had so many emotions. the complicated relationship Tara has with her family, her faith and her education was so hard to read. I related with so many things on this book including the superstition her family has, abusive relationship with a family member, paranoia and mental illness. A great memoir I recommend for everyone to read.