This memoir by Tara Westover has overwhelmed me. There is a LOT to digest here. You will be shocked and horrified by many of the stories you read here about the family Tara grew up in. Ironically enough, you will also be in awe and have a grudging respect and appreciation for other aspects of these characters. As I mentally recount the many stories Tara shared of her family, it's staggering to realize that this all really happened. There were many times I felt like grabbing Tara and shouting at her to stop going back home. Again and again she put herself in such danger simply by being in her family's presence.

Tara Westover was born in 1986 in Buck Peak, Idaho to devout fundamentalist Mormons living off the grid. They distrusted the government and guarded their privacy. This sentiment became increasingly hardened when they hadn't even reported the births of the last four of their seven children. They used midwives when giving birth to stay out of the hospitals, another entity of which they held a deep distrust. Her parents believed in trusting God to heal all illnesses and injuries. To that end, the Mom became immersed in creating tinctures, salves, poultices and other natural remedies over the years to treat any and all ailments. This was taken to a mind-numbing extreme when there were car accidents, burnings, brain injuries and other health crises for which the average human being would call 911 for a heart-racing trip to the nearest hospital. The children were also home-schooled to maintain control over them and keep them available for working on their property.

Through years of Tara's father's religious mania and indoctrination, and various forms of mental and physical abuse from a male sibling, Tara triumphed to acquire her independence and a doctorate from Cambridge University. This is an utterly riveting real-life story of a remarkable young woman.

I have been hearing some very disparaging articles, thoughts, etc about this book. There was an NPR interview with the author and she did not sound like the "voice" in this book. During the interview she sounded as though her childhood was still a "good one" and that the mountain was a wonderful place to grow up. There seems to be too much duality I guess is the word I'm going to use between what the author wrote and what she is now speaking. Because of this I'm not going to finish this book or review it.
Thanks for the opportunity.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Wow, what a story! This was one of the most fascinating memoirs I’ve ever read and one of the most well-written ones too! From the moment I started reading, I was so engaged and drawn into Tara Westover’s story that I found it impossible to put this book down – a first for me with a nonfiction book! Actually, throughout the entire time I was reading, I had to remind myself constantly that this was not a novel, not some fictional coming-of-age tale about a girl who was able to rise above her circumstances and carve out an existence for herself despite everything that happened, because in all honesty, this absolutely read like a novel. Tara’s story is truly amazing and I’m glad she got the chance to tell it-- the way she was able to get an education for the first time at the age of 17, even being able to study at Cambridge and Harvard and eventually earning her PhD, was absolutely inspiring! I appreciate the raw honesty with which she relayed her story and am impressed by the tremendous strength and courage that it undoubtedly took for her to lay bare her inner conflicts and struggles so vividly for us, also going to great lengths to clarify the details and events that were part of her own memory versus the ones that were not. As we were exposed to one harrowing incident after another and bore witness to the destructive behavior and actions of Tara’s parents – her religious fanatic survivalist father and meek, subservient mother – there were moments where I wanted this story to be a work of fiction because it was so hard to come to terms with all the cruelty and abuse that went on. It felt surreal at times, witnessing this family’s brutality – more specifically the father and one of the brothers -- spurred by an unwavering, cult-like adherence to an ideology that obviously defied logic as well as all common sense yet was embraced so wholeheartedly and unquestioningly. Tara never once used the word “cult” in her memoir and it is unclear whether she ever thought of her family as such, but the way she described her parents, especially later on with how powerful they became and all the “employees” who not only worked for them but also admired them and adapted their ideology, it is obvious to any outside observer that’s what her family eventually became. In this regard, I can’t help but worry for Tara, with the publication of this memoir, what her future will look like, especially knowing that her journey is far from over and she continues to struggle with reconciling the new life she built for herself against the love and loyalty she still has for her family.

And this is the one area – Tara’s continued sense of loyalty to her family – that made me struggle with rating this book and, to a certain extent, writing this review. I absolutely felt for Tara and it was heartbreaking what she went through, but at the same time, it was very difficult for me to reconcile her constant need to still seek validation from her family even after everything that happened. She acknowledged herself that her parents were abusive, manipulative, maniacal to the point of delusional, and their lifestyle was one that she no longer wanted to be a part of -- her parents, for their part, also made it clear that her refusal to conform and submit to their ideology meant that she was “no longer welcome” in the family and they wanted nothing to do with her anymore either -- yet despite all this, somehow, Tara is still not able to let go. The part where she talked about writing to her mother every year and basically “begging for approval” to see her was tough to read and in all honesty, frustrated me to no end. Even though her family outright rejected her time and time again and she already knew it was “pointless” to continue reaching out to her family and making the trip back to her family’s compound every year, she still continued to do it – almost as though, despite knowing the impossibility of it, she was hoping for some divine miracle that her family might one day “come around” and change their ways. While part of me definitely understands the difficulty of cutting ties with family and empathizes with the conflicting emotions that Tara continues to struggle with, another part of me can’t help wondering whether someday, she might succumb and everything she worked so hard to achieve – the education and new life -- may be in vain. I’m pretty sure there will be more to this story in the future and I can only hope that whatever happens, Tara can continue to find her inner peace and happiness.

Overall, this was a tough read, but a powerful one and so very important! It opened my eyes to so many things and I know Tara’s story will continue to stay with me for a long time to come. Highly recommended and necessary read!!

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley

Am I allowed to say that this will probably be one of the best books I read all year already?!!?! The author's format of her life in small chunks was approachable and refreshing to read. I want to cheer for her, yell at her and cry for her - sometimes in the same chapters. I will be telling everyone they should read this book!

This was quite honestly the best memoir that I've ever read. It was poignant, heartfelt, captivating, and superbly written. It's hard to write a memoir on such difficult topics as this one without being either preachy or disengaged, but Westover completely nails it. I'm seriously impressed.

Tara Westover’s book “Educated” is a distressing & discomforting - alarming & startling exposure of her Mormon fundamentalist family.

“Educated” is a memoir of nonfiction - but names and identifying details have been changed. Aaron, Audrey, Benjamin, Erin, Faye, Gene, Vanessa, Judy, Peter, Sadie, Shannon, Shawn, Susan, Robert, and Robin are pseudonyms.
Tara tells us in her authors notes:
“This is not about Mormonism. Neither is it about any other form of religious belief. In it there are many types of people, some believers, some not; some kind, some not. The author disputes any correlation, positive or negative, between the two”.
Yet....as I read this novel - I not only felt angry - sickened at times - but really conflicted too. I had duel thoughts from the beginning of this novel to the end. I ‘did’ think - in part this book was about Mormonism ( let’s call a spade a spade).
Tara and her siblings had backpacks filled with supplies to defend themselves ready to “head-for-the-hills” ....ready to run ( away from the government).
Her dad, Gene, feared that the government might one day try to intervene their lifestyle. They were living off the grid. The kids got no formal education, or medical care when sick or injured. Instead of going to the hospital when needed - thei mother, midwife/herbalist cared for them with alternative remedies.
The government might have even brought in social workers to evaluate the health their family. Abuse? YES! This family stayed hidden. Abuse in many forms was hidden.

Tara’s memoir-impart- also details ( summarizes) the transitions and challenges entering the academic world -Brigham Young University- Harvard- Cambridge ( PhD in History). Her educational journey was interesting — some of it maddening to me also ....
not faulting anyone - but it was painful for me to discover just how ‘much’ about the world - life changing world events a 7 year old knew - at age 17 she ‘didn’t’ know - yet somehow was studying at a University. I questioned ‘how was this even possible’? Amazing. Tara had great support from a church entering college...which was wonderful.

At times I felt frustrated ‘besides’ some greatly disturbing horrific frightening descriptions during Tara’s childhood.
Tara’s academic accomplishments were extraordinary—but I couldn’t find her voice. She seemed - fragile - and often so uncertain of herself.
This book is very well written - ( gloomy -perplexing - and wearisome at times from repetitive trips back home to seek validation from her family)- but it seemed her education brought her almost as much pain as it did inner fulfillment. Because Tara disputes any difference between negative and positive —admirable in ways —I had a hard time getting an experience of ‘HER’. I admit it’s my own frustration. This young girl had a childhood I could never fully comprehend- or know what scars remain...but the fact stands — she living proof that amazing change is possible. Tara calls that “an education”. Alright ....I agree....but I’m still sad and feel incomplete. ( it’s my problem - not hers).

There have been comparisons to this book and “The Glass Castle”. I understand that — but in reality they are presented very differently. Not only does Jeannette Walls not change any names in her book — she had just freedom to go on National television with her homeless mother. She didn’t need to hide or change identifying details. Tara Westover felt the need to keep names hidden. ( less freedom between the author and her readers for full- self expression). I understand- but a little less satisfying.

I DO FEEL THIS BOOK OUGHT TO BE READ ....
I DO SEE THIS BOOK’S IMPORTANCE....a story about an American family living by their own rules - ignoring others who don’t follow their beliefs.
WE SEE TARA WESTOVER’S SKILLFUL LYRICISM in this book....very impressive— one of the most inspiring aspects to me. With her achievements, education, and talent, we got a well-written fascinating SAD STORY.


I will think about Tara - worry & wonder about her in years to come. It killed me that Tara continued time and time again to seek validation - I’m not sure it’s over.
She kept going home to a place where her own brother tried to kill her —
She almost begged her mother to see her time and time again too— it was soooo painful to me that her mother rejected her ——but just as painful that Tara kept needing their approval. All so sad. I UNDERSTAND....yet I can’t see who she is through her own behavior.

Tara has an inspiring academic education— a relationship with 3 of her siblings but trying to regain a relationship with her parents - her violent brother - and even one of her sisters she was once very close to was like trying to get blood from a turnip....it just wasn’t possible. It made for very frustrating reading.

Why did Tara keep trying to fill her heart with the family that rejected her several times? And were abusive? And can a book education take that pain away? These are questions that lingered with me.

Tara had a sweet - warm- soft voice on NPR. Her interviewer called her dad a ‘character’. She agreed. All light and fluffy.
Tara share About MANY HAPPY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES on NPR. I was a little confused listening to her. Was she happy or angry? She seemed so happy about her childhood. Huh? Yet for years she suffered abuse which she tells us in her book.
On NPR:
She said the junkyard was playful and exotic, but was dangerous....but also fun.
She said the Mountain where she grew up was magical and beautiful.....but they were closed off from the rest of the world.

Duality....duality...duality ...... is a word that Tara used over and over again on NPR. Tara see’s two sides to her entire life. I felt a little “duality” in this story myself. I still feel Tara herself is hidden from this story.
Can’t put my finger on it. But one thing does hit home — we can’t meet the rest of her family like we were able to of Jeannette Walls. So - this is clearly TARA’S memoir....and I’ll respect it at that.

This is a valuable powerful read but I’m guessing there might be more to this story one day.

Thank You Netgalley, Random House, and Tara Westover ( congrats to you on your book - may you continue to find inner peace and happiness)

4.4 Stars

I enjoyed reading this book as the author is very intelligent, and was very good at describing how she felt emotionally at being raised by a parent who was obviously bipolar and paranoid. As a child, you want to please your parents but then as your world expands and you have a mentally unstable parent, you begin to rely more on your own judgement. I had a similar experience growing up, and you realize that it takes two to tango. My mother was just as guilty for participating in the relationship. It is lucky that the author survived her childhood and became successful.

Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag.” In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.

This was such a powerful, beautiful and enlightening read. I don’t read memoirs often, not because I don’t enjoy, but it affects me on such a personal level. It’s hard to review this book with positive words because I have such strong negative feelings against her parents and one of her brothers. I couldn’t even attempt to describe without giving spoilers. I will say, her father is a religious paranoid fanatic, and very volatile who hid behind his religion. Her mother didn’t deserve to be a mother and there is special place in hell for her brother Shawn.

I have so much respect for Tara, from overcoming adversity, extreme family obstacles and having the resourcefulness to leave a very unhealthy environment, to obtain an education and give herself a better life. I have watched a couple of her interviews and listened to a podcast, and I feel she is still kind of defending her father and giving excuses for his behavior. I am not saying this as judgement because I have no clue how I would react in this situation, but I just truly do not understand the defense of these people.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and the author for a free advanced copy.

Some stories leave you speechless and leave a lasting impression on your heart and soul. It was one of those stories. It was Captivating, emotional, heartbreaking and at the same time uplifting , thought provoking and awe inspiring. Extremely well written. This story should be a must read for all.

I think my feelings about this book were negatively impacted by having read it so soon after Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone. Hannah’s fictional work covered some of the same themes as this memoir: a survivalist father suffering from mental illness, geographic isolation, an abusive family dynamic. I also was left with so many questions about how Tara Westover was able to close such an enormous educational gap with what appeared to be such limited support.

Educated was a hard to read, but so well written memoir. It was awe inspiring to read of Tara’s journey, especially once she started schooling. What an amazingly accomplished life she’s lead so far, despite the hardships she’s faced.

One of the best memoirs I have read in a long time. There were times when I was so angry at the way the writer was treated by her family. I rarely read a memoir that I could not put down, but this was as interesting as any thriller I've read. Her parents and brother treated her badly, but she did not seem to be bitter. I was glad when she decided to make a complete break from them. This is a case of extreme religion doing more harm than good. The book left me wanting to know more about the writer's life.

All through this book I just kept thinking: "How is this even possible?" The fact that you can have kids and nobody knows they exist, to be able to stay under the radar, unvaccinated and unschooled, it just sounds implausible, yet this fascinating personal history proves differently. It is also the best proof of the positive force education can be in a person's life. Mental health issues, abuse, and the Mormon religion are at the heart of this story, but first and foremost it shows that strength of character and intelligence will always come out on top. I enjoyed this book because the author's voice is authentic and because in spite of the incredibly difficult start in life she managed to become stronger and, however painful it was, she understood that sometimes you have to make a clean break with family. Definitely, something for my older students to read and learn from.

"My life was narrated for me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs."

"My father and I looked at the temple. He saw God; I saw granite. We looked at each other. He saw a woman damned; I saw an unhinged old man, literally disfigured by his beliefs."

Educated is a memoir of Tara Westover's unusual upbringing in a fundamentalist Mormon household in rural Idaho. It is a heartbreaking, gritty account of life in a family who believes the Second Coming is near, who abandon formal education for homeschooling, Western medicine for essential oils and herbs, and the outside world for family. God, Westover's parents reasoned, would provide, and His will would be done without the perceived constraints of the external world.

Had I not spent the last 9 years in Idaho, I might not believe that some of Westover's story could possibly be true. Reading about how Westover's parents eschewed hospitals when their children had severe injuries and burns, ripped seatbelts out of their cars because God was in control, and avoided public schooling because they perceived the government as corrupt and sinful was not shocking or surprising to me. The extreme remoteness of much of Idaho's geography allows radical groups to flourish and go unnoticed by local authorities, giving them complete control and reign over their children and sometimes even local communities. For Westover this meant that any abuse she suffered at the hands of her parents and brothers would stay within her household until she could pry her way out of it tooth and nail.

The most miraculous part of Westover's story doesn't involve God but rather Westover's sheer will to access education and break free from her family's toxic household. In order to access college, she had to carve out time to study books on the ACT, a college entrance exam. Her father makes this hard, forcing her to work in his junk yard during the day, salvaging and sorting through brittle, dangerously sharp metal to be resold. Westover has to petition the county clerk for a formal birth certificate since she and her siblings were born at home; her mother cannot remember what year or month she was born.

Westover's admittance to the Mormon Brigham Young University is met with familial disdain. In one instance, her parents throw all her clothes out in the rain when they find out she is heading back to college. When she comes home in between breaks at college, her father tries to assert control and authority over her as does her abusive and violent brother, Shawn. Both want her to be back in the fold, and try to manipulate her to stay through both emotional and physical violence. Ultimately, her choice to pursue an education forces her to make a choice between her parents and the siblings who work for them and the siblings who have left her family's homestead for education and a life beyond their purview. Her parents convince her uneducated siblings that Westover has been turned by the devil, and tell them she is not welcome back home.

It is education (hence the title of the book, "Educated") that thus creates a vast chasm between Westover's siblings and parents; two of her brothers left home and managed to get Ph.D.s, both of whom choose education over their family, and both of whom become lifeboats for Westover. Education makes Westover realize just how much of her inner world was controlled and conditioned by her father and mother. Like a number of fundamentalist groups in Idaho, Westover's father preached that slavery was good, "that slaves in colonial times were happier and more free than their masters, because the masters were burdened with the cost of their care." Westover discovers how anti-Semitism colored her understanding of the past when she takes an introductory course on Western civilization at Brigham Young. Her parents never taught her about the Holocaust, leading to a series of intellectually embarrassing moments for her at college.

Because Westover was deprived of what many Americans consider common knowledge, the outside world is daunting for her. Westover was not merely deprived of a formal education; she was also deprived of the very knowledge she would need to survive in daily life. Since her parents were anti-government and believed that the Illuminati had infiltrated the US government, she had no idea how any sort of formalized processes worked. Her parents didn't have auto insurance. They didn't register their cars. They avoided hospitals at all costs. Westover has to learn to navigate everything on her own. Visiting a doctor for the first time is terrifying. She has never done it before, so she takes a friend with her to help. When she's prescribed antibiotics for strep throat and mono, she's scared to take the medicine:

"I thought of Mother, and of the many times she'd told me that antibiotics poison the body, that they cause infertility and birth defects. That the spirit of the Lord cannot dwell in an unclean vessel, and that no vessel is clean when it forsakes God and relies on man. Or maybe Dad had said that last part."

For readers unfamiliar with extremist religious groups, this is an eye-opening tale of personal redemption and struggle amid a violent, abusive upbringing. This book offers more than just a shocking account of life in a fundamentalist household, however. It is breathtakingly written. Passages like the one below make the story come to life and feel as though you were in the author's shoes:

"For two days we explored Rome, a city that is both a living organism and a fossil. Bleached structures from antiquity lay like dried bones, embedded in pulsating cables and thrumming traffic, the arteries of modern life."

Thank you to the author, Tara Westover, the publisher, Random House, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Educated.

I don’t usually read memoirs, but I couldn’t put this one down. It first appealed to me because I work in education, but Westover’s story is a good read for anyone. At times, I caught myself asking, “why didn’t the author do this with the story?” Then I had to remind myself that it is because it is a memoir and not fiction. That’s how incredible Westover’s story is. I think that Educated was intended for an adult audience, but I would also recommend it for young adults heading out into the world. Educated is a reminder of what grit and determination can mean for one’s life.

So this book is billed as being along the same lines as The Glass Castle

My little nothing opinion falls around something like this.


Tara grows up in a different kind of family. Her dad knows that the end of the world is coming and makes sure his family is always ready. He has them preparing food constantly, digs a shelter, does not believe in association with anything government (including doctors)...mom is a midwife that practices with herbal cures. The family has strong beliefs that center them on their mountain and away from worldly things. Including school. Technically, the story is that the family is homeschooled...but there is not a whole lot of schooling going on. Unless you count working the family junkyard. (That might get you killed.)

The family for the most part is okay with all this because of the simple fact that they just don't know anything else. Their dad is a force and his beliefs are held strong in the family. Tara had never heard of the Holocaust until she was almost an adult.

Tara decides she has to escape from some of her family pressures unless she wants to end up pregnant and following her meek mothers footsteps. Plus, she has an older brother that is so abusive that he turned my stomach.

So why didn't I fall all in love with this book? For me it repeated itself so much that I didn't think the story was ever going to move on. Some parts were just mind bogglingly boring and I almost threw it aside.
But then there were parts after the first half of the book that I couldn't read fast enough.
Go figure.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Educated

by Tara Westover

Very few books leave me speechless, but Tara Westover’s memoir Educated is one of them. Well written, this is the author’s very personal story of growing up in a dysfunctional family with abuse of various types from several family members and later betrayal by others. Tara lived a secluded and physically difficult life with a large family dominated by an authoritative father with mental issues. He was an extremist Mormon with an antigovernment, end times, survivalist fixation.

Tara was supposedly homeschooled, but her education was basically nonexistent. She and several of her brothers in turn realized their only escape was through education. Self-taught, Tara scored high enough on her ACT test to qualify for admission to Brigham Young University as she turned 17. She was unprepared mentally and socially for a college experience. She did not even have basic hygiene skills.

Over the course of her academic education, she was confronted with multiple instances where the foundations of her beliefs from childhood were shattered by learning the true version of events. She was lied to, put in danger, and manipulated time after time. Tara’s journey to mental health and a new normalcy happened slowly and only after many confrontations with her family. Eventually she was forced by them to choose with whom her loyalties would lie and the direction of her life as an adult.

Educated is a powerful memoir and emotionally very difficult to read. Its focus on education, relationships, and faith results in a painful tale as Tara journeys from Idaho to Cambridge with forays to New England, Paris, Italy, and the Middle East—all places she could not even dream of because she previously knew nothing about them. This is a story that needed to be told, and one I am glad the author shared.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Memoir

Notes: links provided by Random House

LISTEN to Tara’s NPR Fresh Air interview: https://www.npr.org/2018/02/20/587244230/memoirist-retraces-her-journey-from-survivalist-childhood-to-cambridge-ph-d
 
WATCH Tara’s CBS This Morning segment: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/tara-westovers-journey-from-off-the-grid-childhood-to-cambridge/
 
DISCUSS the book with your book club: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550168/educated-by-tara-westover/9780399590504/readers-guide/

Publication: February 20, 2018—Random House

Memorable Lines:

I’d never learned how to talk to people who weren’t like us—people who went to school and visited the doctor. Who weren’t preparing, every day, for the End of the World.

“There’s a world out there, Tara,” he said. “And it will look a lot different once Dad is no longer whispering his view of it in your ear.”

It’s strange how you give the people you love so much power over you, I had written in my journal. But Shawn had more power over me than I could possibly have imagined. He had defined me to myself, and there’s no greater power than that.

In that moment part of me believed, as I had always believed, that it would be me who broke the spell, who caused it to break. When the stillness shattered and his fury rushed at me, I would know that something I had done was the catalyst, the cause. There is hope in such a superstition, there is the illusion of control.

Westover and her siblings weren't homeschooled or even unschooled, this was straight-up educational neglect (combined with abuse and shocking medical neglect). She followed her own desire to learn, pushed through the twisted religious messages she was surrounded by, fought to get an actual education, battled imposter syndrome, learned to set boundaries. Westover has a gentle, articulate, matter-of-fact writing style that makes a difficult read bearable. You can't help but cheer her on as she frees herself from those speaking over her and gains control of her own life.

Tara Westover's memoir is at times shocking, terrifying, and heartbreaking. But most importantly, it's inspiring, reminding readers that knowledge gives us the courage to pursue our individuality and the power to respect each other's paths. I highly recommend this one!