Educated: A Memoir

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When another brother got himself into college and came back with news of the world beyond the mountain, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. As you step inside of Tara's story you will certainly have moments in which vexation will sit down right next to you and shake its head in disbelief and sorrow. The wonderful Traveling Sisters group set it up as a slow read and I was in. Education consisted of Faye dropping them at the Carnegie Library in town, where they could read whatever they wanted.

But quickly we came out of this Sam Harris-like territory, and went into more chaos. D from Cambridge, has studied at Harvard, as well as receiving her B. Educated is a testament to Tara's brilliance and tenacity, a bittersweet rendering of how family relationships can be cruel or life-saving, and a truly great read from the first page to the last.

Nonfiction Book Review: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. Random House, $28 (350p) ISBN 978

An unforgettable memoir in the tradition of The Glass Castle about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University Tara Westover was 17 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 An unforgettable memoir in the tradition of Book educated review Glass Castle about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The 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. Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for book educated review first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes and the will to change it. Unless you have been raised in a closed, fundamentalist sytem, and i was in one for 26 years, no matter what flavor: Islam, Hassidic, or differing Unless you have been raised in a closed, fundamentalist sytem, and i was in one for 26 years, no matter what flavor: Islam, Hassidic, or differing flavors of Christian you have no idea of the level of brainwashing, gaslighting, emotional abuse that goes on. Your very ability to perceive external reality is distorted through the lens of the system. Again, unless you've been in it, of course the outsider will shake their head and condemn the victim. Her ability to learn on her own blows mine right out of the water. I was thrilled to sit down with her recently to talk about the book. Tara was raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho. Her ability to learn on her own blows mine right out of the water. I was thrilled to sit down with her recently to talk about the book. Tara was raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho. Her dad had very non-mainstream views about the government. He believed doomsday was coming, and that the family should interact with the health and education systems as little as possible. Eventually, she earned her doctorate in intellectual history from Cambridge University. It reminded me in some ways of the Netflix documentarywhich I recently watched. Both explore people who remove themselves from society because they have these beliefs and knowledge that they think make them more enlightened. Whatever their ideas are, they pursue them. Of the seven Westover siblings, three of them—including Tara—left home, and all three have earned Ph. I found it fascinating how it took studying philosophy and history in school for Tara to trust her own perception of the world. Because she never went to school, her worldview was entirely shaped by her dad. He believed in conspiracy theories, and so she did, too. For example, she had never book educated review of the Holocaust until her art history professor mentioned it. Her experience is an extreme version of something everyone goes through with their parents. At some point in your childhood, you go from thinking they know everything to seeing them as adults with limitations. I was impressed by how she talks so candidly about how naïve she once was—most of us find it difficult to talk about our own ignorance. I was especially interested to hear her take on polarization in America. I thought about a great many aspects of human development and our abil Good review Bill. I thought about a great many aspects of human development and our ability to survive via resilience and compliance. I also thought about Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome is a form of trauma bonding; when an individual is not harmed by their captor or so they believe not terribly so but rather by their overall environment and situation. They develop sympathetic feelings for their captors. Still not listed as a mental illness but rather a syndrome or disorder. The individual develops a survival strategy during their captivity so they can manage what they need to endure. Tara had to survive until she could leave her parents home. I wondered if this might be how she was able to continue on. It also caught my attention that she was so very matter-of-fact about such trumatic events and that she seemed untarnished by the telling of it. Book educated review is common with Stockholm syndrome sufferers. They even go so far as to want to maintain or reconnect with their abusers. She is truly to be applauded for overcoming her childhood sorrows and attaining a life that she loves. A very thought-provoking book on many levels. It sounds odd to say how beautifully written this is because we are not spared of the ugly details of what this family was about, but yet i Difficult to read. It sounds odd to say how beautifully written this is because we are not spared of the ugly details of what this family was about, but yet it is beautifully written. Her mother seems at times more sympathetic to her children, but she is complicit by her subservience to her husband. She struggles for years to discover who she was, who she could be - a scholar, a writer, an independent woman. This is a stunning, awe inspiring story that will haunt the reader long after the book ends. Thank you to Tara Westover for book educated review yourself with us. I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley. Thanks to my friend Diane for bringing this book to my attention. Without her review I might have missed this. What a thoughtful, interesting fantasy novel. Some parts of this do seem farfetched, such as how an uneducated mountain wildgirl clicked her heels together, magicked up thousands of dollars yeah, yeah, scholarships don't cover everything, you knowand went on to some of the world's most prestigious higher education centres. Intelligence is not the main thing required to attend Harvard or Cambridge; being able to pass exams and perform the system's dance is. Someone withou What a thoughtful, interesting fantasy novel. Some parts of this do seem farfetched, such as how an uneducated mountain wildgirl clicked her heels together, magicked up thousands of dollars yeah, yeah, scholarships don't cover everything, you knowand went on to some of the world's most prestigious higher education centres. Intelligence is not the main thing required to attend Harvard or Cambridge; being able to pass exams and perform the system's dance is. Someone without formal education should have no idea how to do that. Also-- are some people magically cured by herbs and finger-clicking here or did I miss some medical intervention along the way. I've read a few books about isolated communities that go off the grid and enforce their own laws and, I have to say, Westover's experience felt pretty tame. Her family were survivalists who spent months canning peaches and hunting for scrap, but is this really that odd. My grandfather used to take us to collect blackberries and then we'd spend time making blackberry jam and canning. They are also just really bad at going off the grid. If you're going to do it, do it properly. Where the book does succeed is as a portrait of physical and emotional abuse. I think this was the most important part of the book and it's been glossed over in favour of people's delight at learning about weirdos running around wild in the mountains. I'm not judging; I came for that too. I also found it really interesting and sad when the author suggested that her father's paranoid delusions might have been undiagnosed bipolar disorder. It's a quick read with crowd-pleasing writing, I'll give it that. But it's hard to not feel like something is amiss, and certain events were probably exaggerated. It's also possible that the writing lacked clarity because some things definitely didn't add up. It must be so disheartening for a writer to receive a negative review by readers who clearly don't read well or who don't have the literary skills to It must be so disheartening for a writer to receive a negative review by readers who clearly don't read well or who don't have the literary skills to make cogent plot connections that are clearly in the story. book educated review At worst, it's an average rating. Why are there so many tantrums going on in this thread. I am only 7, but I understand that it is this fact more than any other that makes my family different. We don't go to school. Dad worries that the government will force us to go, but it can't because it doesn't know about us. Four of my parents' seven children don't have birth certificates. We have no medical records because we were born at home and have never seen a doctor or nurse. We have no school records because we've never On the highway below, the school bus rolls past without stopping. I am only 7, but I understand that it is this fact more than any other that makes my family different. We don't go to school. Dad worries that the government will force us to go, but it can't because it doesn't know about us. Four of my parents' seven children don't have birth certificates. We have no medical records because we were born at home and have never seen a doctor or nurse. We have no school records because we've never set foot in a classroom. Educated is both a tale of hope and a record of horror. We know from the first page of her book that Tara Westover is book educated review bright woman, a gifted writer with an impressive, poetic command of language. But her early life offered no clue that she would become a Cambridge PhD or a brilliant memoirist. She was the youngest of seven children born to Gene and Faye not their real names Westover, fundamentalist, survivalist Mormons, in rural Idaho. Tara Westover - image from her The Times We had a farm which belonged to my grandfather, and we had a salvage yard full of crumpled-up cars which belonged to my father. And my mother was a - she was an herbalist and a midwife. And as children, we spent a lot of hours walking on the mountain, gathering rose hips and mullein flowers that she could stew into tinctures. So in a lot of ways, it was a very beautiful childhood. Father was the law in their household, but it was a rule informed as much by significant mental health issues as it was by his ardent religious beliefs. In a less rural, less patriarchal, less religious community, theirs could easily have been deemed an unsafe environment. The scrapyard was a particularly dangerous place. And he had a really hard time understanding injuries even after they had happened and how severe they were. book educated review I just - I don't know what it was about the way his mind worked. He just wasn't able to do that. Everyone had to have head-for-the-hills bags for when the government, Deep State, Illuminati, choose your own boogeyman, would come for them. He had a profound distrust of the medical profession, believing that doctors were agents of Satan, intent on doing harm. Maybe not an ideal way to make sure your kids reach adulthood in one piece. Luke had a learning disability, frustrating mom, who really had hoped to educate them all. Dad undermined this, dragging the kids out to do chores and learn practical skills. Education consisted of Faye dropping them at the Carnegie Library in town, where they could read whatever they wanted. Dad rustled the boys at 7am, but Tyler, who had an affinity for math, would often remain inside, studying, until dad dragged him out. We had books, and occasionally we would be kind of sent to read them. But for example, I was the youngest child, and I never took an exam, or I never wrote an essay for my mother that book educated review read or nothing like kind of getting everyone together and having anything like a lecture. So it was a lot more kind of if you wanted to read a book, you could, but you certainly weren't going to be made to do that. Tyler, a black sheep, not only loved books but music, as well. This was a major tonic for Tara, who was smitten with the book educated review and choral music her brother would play on his boom box. Not only did she find a love for music, but she discovered that she has a gift for singing. Being a part often the star of the town musical productions gave her greater contact with peers outside her family than she had ever had before. It formed one pillar of her desire to go to school, to college, to study music. Her intellectual broadening and education forms one powerful thread in her story. How her natural curiosity emerged, was nurtured, discouraged, and ultimately triumphed. The other thread consists of the personal, emotional, psychological, religious, and cultural challenges she had to overcome to become her own person. And what about what was the right course for Tara. There was some wiggle room. Once dad sees her perform on stage, he is smitten, and softens to her musical leanings. Male siblings had been allowed to go to college. But every step outside the expectations, the rules, came at a cost. Do something different and lose a piece of connection to your family. And family was extremely important, particularly for a person whose entire life had been defined by family, much more so than for pretty much anyone who might read her book. Father was domineering, and was feckless about physical danger, even as it applied to his children. And distrustful of the medical establishment. Severe injuries, including Tara having her leg punctured by razor-like scrap-metal, a brother suffering severe burns on one leg, and even dad himself suffering catastrophic third-degree burns in a junkyard explosion, were to be treated by home-brew tinctures. He was also extremely moody, a characteristic that carried forward in some of the family genes. She felt close to him at times. He could be kind and understanding in a way that moved her. He even saved her life in a runaway horse incident. But he had a reputation as a bar brawler, as a person eager to fight. Sometimes his rages turned on his own family. And it was not just rage, sparked by trivialities, but cruelty, to the point of sadism. Tara was one of the objects of his madness. Dare oppose him and he would twist her arm to the point of spraining, drag her by her hair, force her face into unspeakable places and demand apologies for imagined offenses. It is this denial that was hardest to bear. If your own parents will betray you, will not look out for you, in the face of such blatant attacks, then what is the value of the thing you hold most dear in the world. All abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, foremost, an assault on the mind. Which means you have to normalize it. You have to justify it, rationalize it. And the other thing you have to convince them of is that they deserve it. She was living in a gaslit world in which multiple individuals, people who supposedly loved her, were telling her that what she had seen was an illusion, and that bad things that other people did were somehow her fault. Honey, wake the hell up. How many time ya gonna let these awful people get away with this crap. That gets old well before the end. I was very much reminded of victims of domestic abuse, who convince themselves that they must have done something to cause, to deserve the violence they suffer. One can only hope that she has been able to vanquish this self-blaming propensity completely by now. Years of therapy have surely helped. Tara at Cambridge - image from Salt Lake City Tribune She struggles with the yin and yang of her upbringing and finding her true self. Her father was extreme, but also loving. Her abusive brother had a very kind side to him. Her mother was supportive, but was also a betrayer. Her parents wanted what they truly thought was best for her, but ultimately attempted to extinguish the true Tara. The dichotomy in the book is gripping. At times it reads like How Green Was My Valley, an upbringing that was idyllic, rich with history and lore, both community and family, and featuring book educated review strong bond to the land. Their home was at the foot of Buck Peak, which sported an almost magical feature that looked like an Indian Princess, and was the source of legends. At others, it is like a horror novel, a testament to the power of reality-bending, indoctrination, and maybe even Stockholm Syndrome. Reading of this support, I had the same weepy joyful feeling as when Hagrid informs a very young lad, When setting out to write the book, Westover had no clue how to go about it, well, this sort of a book, anyway. She had already written a doctoral thesis. In figuring out how to get from wish to realization, one important resource was listening to the New Yorker fiction podcast, with its focus on short stories. And she took in plenty of books on writing. It is certainly clear that, just as she had the wherewithal to go from no-school to doctorate at Cambridge, she has shown an ability to figure out how to write a moving, compelling memoir. Educated is a triumph, a remarkable work, beautifully told, of the journey from an isolated, fundamentalist, survivalist childhood, through the trials of becoming, to adulthood as an erudite and accomplished survivor. It is a powerful look at the ties, benefits, and perils of families. Ultimately, Educated is a rewarding odyssey you do not want to miss. From a with Westover Goodreads: Congratulations on your win. What does the award and all the support from Goodreads readers mean to you. That means something a little bit different and a little bit extra. When I began reading Educated, I was floored that Tara and her siblings were not in school, and they were not homeschooled either. How could this happen in modern times with compulsory schooling put in place long ago. When I began reading Educated, I was floored that Tara and her siblings were not in school, and they were not homeschooled either. How could this happen in modern times with compulsory schooling put in place long ago. This book educated review not only did not have insurance, they did not believe in accessing traditional medical care. While the family was clearly having difficulty grappling with many things, I was struck by the love and devotion between them, even with the strained family dynamics. Her words were upfront, bold, but never complaining or looking for pity. Overall, I found Educated to be one of the most engaging, powerful, and inspiring memoirs I have read. Thank you to Tara Westover, Random House, and Netgalley for this reading experience I will treasure. I wanted to read this after seeing so many high ratings. I was expecting to love this book but ended up feeling meh about it. I actually wanted to hurry the book up in parts and other times found it to be a little repetitive. There were other times I wanted her to go into more detail or explain things more. I wanted to read this after seeing so many high ratings. I was expecting to love this book but ended up feeling meh about it. I actually wanted to hurry the book up in parts and other times found it to be a little repetitive. There were other times I wanted her to go into more detail or explain things more. One thing I had an issue with is that her family is described as survivalists who educated their children at home - many of which do not even have a birth certificate - but then they had many modern conveniences. Her father has a junkyard and a huge distrust of the government. Her Mother becomes a midwife at her husband's urging and makes tinctures and uses herbs to cure those in her family and in their community. I do realize that book educated review family acquired the telephone due to her Mother's job as a mid-wife but then I wondered how they paid for everything. Tara grows up free or wild. She is abused by an older brother and no one seems to notice, intervene, or even care. They seem to be a reckless group - example: multiple car accidents, etc. I had a hard time believing some of the information presented. Case in point the first car accident in the book, Tara's father offered to pay for the damaged tractor. Where did they get the money. Just how much does farm equipment cost. It's not cheap, I know that. Even if the farm equipment purchased is used it still must be pricey. Plus, the damage to their car would mean they would need to purchase another. Then the family has another car accident. More money, lots of injuries, possible need for another vehicle, etc. I am not saying that none of this happened, but I had a lot of questions about how things were paid for Plus, this family seemed to be very accident prone, falling from surfaces, fires, head injuries. Was this because they were raised without any rules and became reckless, or did bad things just happen to them. Tara does want a better life for herself. She does educate herself at home, so she can pass the test to get into College. College isn't cheap, nor are book, nor is housing or food. Again, I wondered how she paid for all of this. Plus, once she got to college, she didn't seem to mind that her roommates were upset with the smell in their home. Dirty dishes, not bathing, not having clean clothes. I get if this is the norm, in the home she grew up in but when faced with other's displeasure, I would think a smart girl like her would have taken the hint that being clean and living in a clean environment is the norm, not how she was raised. Plus, at home a young man even pointed out to her that her home smelled as did she. There was a part of this book that I did enjoy. Tara's thirst for knowledge and teaching herself and gaining entrance to college without a formal education. She went on to achieve a lot in her life and it is impressive and commendable. Tara definitely was an under dog and I did root for her. She definitely changed her life and sought for better for herself. Even without a lot of support from her family, she found strength and kept going. This is what shined for me in this book with otherwise left me book educated review questions. Who doesn't want to root for her. Having said that, there were just too many questions raised why reading this. I don't care if someone is a survivalist, I would think one would still want their children to be safe and free of harm. The turning the blind eye to abuse was despicable. The book educated review also had a lot of modern conveniences which did not gel with my idea of what a survivalist family would own or not own. But I am no expert on survivalist families. Her father clearly had some mental health issues and they contributed to his beliefs and possibly to their way of life. Yes, she grew up in a home with an untreated mentally ill parent, yes, it is all very sad but it was still not enough to make me enjoy the book. What worked for me in this book was Tara's drive for a better life. How with very little support from her family, she went out on her own and obtained an education. I appreciated her drive and determination. Her book is well written and I realize this is her account of how she remembers things from her perspective. I just was left with questions hence the 3 star rating. Again, in the minority with book educated review one. It just wasn't for me. I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Aaron, Audrey, Benjamin, Erin, Faye, Gene, Vanessa, Judy, Peter, Sadie, Shannon, Shawn, Susan, Robert, and Robin are pseudonyms. Neither is it about any other form of religious belief. Aaron, Audrey, Benjamin, Erin, Faye, Gene, Vanessa, Judy, Peter, Sadie, Shannon, Shawn, Susan, Robert, and Robin are pseudonyms. 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. I had duel thoughts from the beginning of this novel to the end. Her dad, Gene, feared that the government might one day try to intervene their lifestyle. They were living off the grid. The kids had no formal education, or medical care when sick or injured. The government might have even brought in social workers to evaluate the health their family. Abuse in many forms was hidden. Her educational journey was interesting — some of it maddening to me also. Tara had great support from a church entering college. 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. This young girl had a childhood I could never fully comprehend- or know what book educated review remain. 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. Tara Westover felt the need to keep names hidden. I understand- but a little less satisfying. 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. 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 book educated review to was like trying to get blood from a turnip. It made for very frustrating reading. Why did Tara keep trying to fill her heart with the family that rejected her several times. And can a book education take that pain away. These are questions that lingered with me. I was a little confused listening to her. Was she happy or angry. She seemed so happy about her childhood. Yet for years she suffered abuse which she tells us in her book. She said the Mountain where she grew up was magical and beautiful. I still feel Tara herself is hidden from this story. Thank You Netgalley, Random House, and Tara Westover congrats to you on your book - may you continue to find inner peace and happiness 4. Which leaves me Agree, book educated review disclaimer about Mormonism at the beginning of the book, and then the content of the religion in the book are inconsistent. Which leaves me to wonder, Has this author reconciled her religion. So, the idea of not being able to go to school, of being deprived of an education, hit me really hard. Tara Westover is the child of a religious fanatic, someone who sees the government as pure evil. And by government, he means schools, hospitals, vaccines, seat belts, car insurance, etc. Everything we think o I grew up with my nose perpetually in a book. So, the idea of not being able to go to school, of being deprived of an education, hit me really hard. Tara Westover is the child of a religious fanatic, someone who sees the government as pure evil. And by government, he means schools, hospitals, vaccines, seat belts, car insurance, etc. Everything we think of as civilization. His family awaits the Days of Abomination. There is a similarity here to The Glass Castle. Once again, we see how a mentally unbalanced father holds sway over an entire family. He thinks he speaks for God. Tara struggles with the knowledge that for her to go to school will mean a total separation from her father because he will never acknowledge that his ideas are not the correct ones. Parts of this book are cringeworthy. I found myself shaking my head that folks would allow severe suffering rather than a trip to the hospital or the use of real medicine. I know little to nothing about the Mormon faith. Certainly, the faith of this family is not the true Mormon faith. But you get glimpses enough to also realize book educated review there is a strong anti-woman bias in the faith and that women are definitely second class citizens. Broodmares more than humans on a par with men. Tara continues throughout the book to struggle to find her way, to stand up for her beliefs. Hell, to find her own beliefs. This is an amazing book. It makes you realize how easy your life is. And how strong folks like Tara are to be able to rise above their beginnings and be able to fight back against the attempts of family to hold them down. It will certainly be on mine. My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book. 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. Tara Westover grew book educated review a few mountains over from my dad's Heglar ranch. 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. Tara Westover grew up a few mountains over from my dad's Heglar ranch. She grew up about 70-80+ miles South East as the crow flies, but realistically, it was a 1. I didn't grow up in Idaho. I was born there and returned there yearly. But this book is filled with the geography, culture, behaviors, mountains, religion, schools, and extremes I understand. She is writing from a similar, and often shared space. I didn't just read this book, I felt it on every page. book educated review The memoir danced at parts, while a couple pages later, I would be sent up for air. I often found myself having to talk through parts of the book with my wife while reading. Some books seem to remove friction while you read. My wife abandoned work for a day to read it. This book reads like a modern-day, Horatio Alger +. However, it isn't just a book about how a girl with little formal education from a small town in Idaho makes it to Cambridge. It is also a tale of escape, and a historiography. Westover is using her own life to do a popular memory study on herself. She is looking at how she viewed her religion, her background, her parents, and her education. She explores how those memories and narratives change and reorient based upon proximity to her family, her father. Then I bought another couple and yesterday and today my wife and I raced to finish our respective copies. We bored our kids talking about it over two dinners. We both finished it within minutes of each other tonight. Tara Westover's memoir hit me hard because of the struggle she has owning her own narrative. My family, while sharing similar land, a similar start, and a similar undergraduate education, however, are not Tara's. And that is what made this memoir so compelling. It was like reading a Dickens novel, but one that was set in your neighborhood. It was moving, sad, and tremendous. A monumental memoir that should be required reading for all. The description doesn't do it book educated review. It's not about getting a PhD, it's about growing up in a family that doesn't believe in school, thinks doctors are a part of a sociologist conspiracy, and that any day the government will shoot them dead--if the end of times don't come first. The experiences Tara describes are horrific, yet oddly relatable--even if your family is nothing like hers and let's hope it isn't. By the end, she has to A monumental memoir that should be required reading for all. The description doesn't do it justice. It's not about getting a PhD, it's about growing up in a family that doesn't believe in school, thinks doctors are a part of a sociologist conspiracy, and that any day the government will shoot them dead--if the end of times don't come first. The experiences Tara describes are horrific, yet oddly relatable--even if your family is nothing like hers and let's hope it isn't. By the end, she has to come to terms with balancing family bonds and having the strength to see past their warped sense of reality. There's really no words to describe it, but I'd start with moving, inspiring, shocking and un-put-downable. Stop wasting your time reading this review and start reading the book. I thought wow, I need to read this now. The wonderful Traveling Sisters group set it up as a slow read and I was in. Grabbed a copy from NetGalley and was ready to go. I didn't like this one, I had to force myself to finish. So I'm probably in the minority in not liking this one. I thought wow, I need to read this now. The wonderful Traveling Sisters group set it up as a slow read and I was in. Grabbed a copy from NetGalley and was ready to go. I didn't like this one, I had to force myself to finish. So I'm probably in the minority in not liking this one. It was more of a 'having a hard time believing the story' kinda thing. Tara details her life growing up in the mountains. She paints a picture of this wild child who doesn't bathe, or wash her hands after using the toilet her grandmother had a fit about thisis quite ignorant, but yet. She talks about her childhood and her parents seems so bad - no schooling, must work and earn money, her father seems to be a religious zealot who harbors a fear of the govt, her mother creates tinctures that cure people from near death. It just became a bit much and I was having a hard time believing it book educated review. Multiple car accidents, severe burns, head trauma, and all cured with herbs. But then she wants to go to school, so she does. Where did she get the money. They didn't seem to have much money. Yet, being in the 'mountain' rustic home, they had a phone, tv, internet. I dunno, it was just getting to be a bit much for me to believe. She ended up having multiple siblings teach themselves, go to college, and get advanced degrees. A memoir is defined as an autobiography or a written account of one's memory of certain events. Maybe this is how she remembers everything, maybe it really all happened this way. But it all just did not add up for me. I had so many questions about everything. I'll just say thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the read and this in no way influenced my review. Feel free to skip sections. Feel free to skip sections. Holy moly what a tough and bizarro life this amazing woman has had, and oh what a writer. She looks normal, whatever that means. I just had to see and hear this woman, this woman who had a strange, horrendous, and dangerous childhood and lived to tell about it—and so eloquently. From the interviews, I see that she happens to be articulate, quick-witted, and confident, and she totally passes for normal, whatever that is. Spare me the scenery, I want the juice. The book opens with Tara describing the beauteous mountain that she grew up on. It was perfectly written; a creative writing teacher would have been damn proud of her. Tell me what happened and how you feel. Save the mountain business for a poem, will you please. Luckily, the mountain talk stopped and then I got pulled in real fast. The mountain gave her book educated review feeling of safety and peace, and its beauty stayed with her as she trekked to places far away to get her education. Refraining from spilling all the beans. Dad buried gas and guns. Tara is the youngest of seven kids, all raised in the mountains of Idaho by a madman father who was a religious book educated review and believed the end of the world was coming. He buried gas and guns so that they could survive after the end came. He thought the government, schools, and medicine were all bull—and dangerous. He was charismatic and forceful. He brainwashed all of them. They are Mormons, but the type of religion is beside the point. Tara says right up front that the book is not about Mormons. I absolutely hate religious rantings, but luckily no one is pushing the religion; Tara is just telling us what it was like around her house. At the time, she believed everything he said. How weird would that be. I will say that this memoir reads like fiction. Burns and gashes and raccoon eyes and brains hitting concrete. How did they all stay alive. He broke her fingers, put her head in the toilet—normal stuff like that. If there was ever a need for a therapist…. But she says her life seemed normal to her: she had nothing to compare it to, for one. All kids must help their fathers work; her dad just happened to own a junkyard with dangerous equipment. How did she know that other families went to hospitals instead of using herbs to cure everything. Her mom is an accomplished herbalist. And she knew her parents loved her and meant book educated review. He did the best he could. Before this, she had never stepped foot in a classroom. She had never heard of the Holocaust or the civil rights movement. She thought Europe was a country. Despite this, she ended up at Cambridge. She says getting an education is not about making money, but about making a person. I identify with her being hell-bent on getting educated and knowing she had to do it herself. I had an intense drive to go to college. I went to the library to find out which city had the most colleges and that was Boston, with 58 of them. When I was 18, I moved there, determined to get accepted into one that I could afford I did. I just wanted to say that I identified with her drive and her success in getting through college. Her education for her, an awakening included taking psych courses. She realized then that her dad was probably mentally ill, and this knowledge allowed her to book educated review him. Psych classes also helped her become super self-aware. I loved the parts in the book where she analyzes herself. One thing she talked about was gaslighting—the process of people denying your reality book educated review making you feel crazy. For example, this happened when she tried to tell her parents what her psycho brother had done to her. Tara says she started doubting her sanity—which has to be scary. She says she had a breakdown at one point. The only frustrating thing about her book is watching her return, time and time again, to visit her family. Quick, Tara, jump on my back as we pogo-stick on out of there. Psycho, sadistic bro Shawn is just too damn scary. He cranked it up a notch every time she visited, and I was scared he would seriously mess her up—break a bigger bone, give her brain damage, throw her off the mountain, something really bad. But she also wanted to expose Shawn and to warn them about him, since he was attacking other people too. book educated review Plus, people who live together a long time get imprinted on each other. I think the only way she would have severed ties would be if there had been sexual abuse. To try to make her story as accurate as possible, she looked back through her journals. Also, a couple of her brothers have corroborated her memories. I buy her story—hook, line, and sinker. Her interviews are factual, analytical. She seems to have intellectualized her trauma, which is a common defense mechanism. In the longer interviews, she discusses her philosophy on education—not the kind of stuff that makes an audience wriggle in glee. There are a few scathing 1-star reviews on Amazon by family members and friends of the family. Tara even says in her book that he helped her out financially. These negative reviews say that Tara is unstable let me say that in interviews, she does not in any way appear or sound weird. Of course they would say that. No one wants their family to shun them. Luckily, she is close to a couple of brothers. In the book, she gives them credit for helping her. Now for some silly cover talk. For the longest time, I thought this was an artsy cover showing the back of a woman. What an enticing and cool cover. Check out her interviews: Here are a few of the interviews I liked. Warning: The one in Cambridge is really long. It has made me very leery of trusting and believing a lot of things and unfortunately this gene kicked in big time in this story billed as a memoir. While I do believe that the things described by Tara Westover might have happened, I also have to think that this was a book of childhood memories. Sometimes, as children, we distort the truth, and sometimes grown to adulthood we only remember fragment 2 stars and I know, I am an outlier. It has made me very leery of trusting and believing a lot of things and unfortunately this gene kicked in big time in this story billed as a memoir. While I do believe that the things described by Tara Westover might have happened, I also have to think that this was a book of childhood memories. Sometimes, as children, we distort the truth, and sometimes grown to adulthood we only remember fragments of what happened and when confronted by others realize our memory was somewhat faulty. There are actually quite a few things I just could not wrap my hands around in this story. For one, being a former teacher and having had the pleasure of teaching many gifted and brilliant students, I just could not see what, with the quantum lapses in Tara's education, how she could possibly have made it into both a fairly prestigious college and then onto the highest level of university in England. Learning builds upon itself and being a former math teacher, I can say that if one only had the rudimentary knowledge of the four simple math functions, that book educated review onto higher level math would be virtually impossible. Was it possible that her early education being home schooled was not as lacking as she described it to be. The next issue I had was that of the number of injuries incurred by she and her brothers and her mother just snapping her fingers, using essential oils and other agents and then recovery occurred. Granted, I am not a medical professional, but the incidents described in one or two particular cases was life threatening and yet these techniques done by the mother worked. I know I still blame it on my doubting Thomas gene. I do also have a belief in both holistic and regular medicine being a partnership in the healing process. Next up for me, was Tara's ability to obtain somehow the book educated review to attend college and then to travel overseas to England and back. Yes, I do know that she was awarded scholarships but what about the incidentals, travel, food not provided in school. Did she live like a hermit and never leave the confines of the school she was attending. From her writing, we know that is not true. Lastly, if indeed these things were happening, where were the people who should have noticed the abuse. Where were the friends, the church goers, the people who did business with the father. Would they have not noticed untoward things happening to the Westover children. Would not at least one of them have come forward. Why are some of them coming forward now to defend this family. So, sorry to say, I am going against the grain of many of my fellow much respected readers and reviewers, and saying that I just could not buy into what was being set forward in this book. I am not an advocate for her parents, nor do I think that things never did happen. Perhaps to me, this book just has not explained the circumstances well enough for the doubting Thomas in me to believe. Thankful to my Traveling Sisters who read this book along with me. We all seemed to share the same ideas on this one and I am glad as always to have my thoughts and feeling able to be expressed to such a wonderful group of avid readers. Tara Westgrove is one of the strongest, and bravest people I have ever read about. This woman grew up as the youngest child in a big survivalist, Mormon family, in Idaho at Buck Peak. So much danger for her in that life, mostly because of her father and one of her older brothers. This memoir is so brutal at times and hard to read, your heart just breaks for this girl, and for some of her siblings. book educated review Tara Westgrove is one of the strongest, and bravest people I have ever read about. This woman grew up as the youngest child in a big survivalist, Mormon family, in Idaho at Buck Peak. So much danger for her in that life, mostly because of her father and one of her older brothers. This memoir is so brutal at times and hard to read, your heart just breaks for this girl, and for some of her siblings. Her academic achievements were fascinating to read about, especially with all the turmoil in her life. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced ebook. Educated: A Memoir scalded the very edges of my soul. It took me through a whole gamut of my own emotions from belief to disbelief, from hesitation to doubt to wariness, and most importantly, from the weightiness of compassion and empathy to the restrictions of frustration and anger. Tara Westover tells her story straight out through the reflections seen by her own eyes, her own jagged experiences, and in her own words. As you step inside of Tara's story you will certainly h I must tell you. Educated: A Memoir scalded the very edges of my soul. It took me through a whole gamut of my own emotions from belief to disbelief, from hesitation to doubt to wariness, and most importantly, from the weightiness of compassion and empathy to the restrictions of frustration and anger. Tara Westover tells her story straight out through the reflections seen by her own eyes, her own jagged experiences, and in her own words. As you step inside of Tara's story you will certainly have moments in which vexation will sit down right next to you and shake its head in disbelief and sorrow. Truth comes in variations of light. We book educated review in a world in which we sift life experiences of book educated review own and others through an internal grid. Does it shake out right in our minds. Can we relate to any of this. Or do we see the world through tunnel vision. Our experiential backgrounds, existing in the light of positivity or in the deepest caves of darkness, form the prism for which we view life. We form our values and codes of conduct normally through trial and error. We receive feedback and reinforcement, ideally, through our family unit. Tara's self-expressed reality is a reality for more individuals in some way, shape or form that we can even begin to image. There is no sugar-coating this story. Gene Westover is a self-proclaimed prophet of impending doom. His social revolutionary nature and his transfixion with his skewed religious beliefs bled into this family with dire emotional and physical consequences. His children seemed to be no more than members of a work crew who were manipulated and mind-controlled in his demands for loyalty at all costs. She had that internal grid of right and wrong within her, initially, and buckled under to his demands at the price of her own children's well-being. No salve, no herb, no tincture can cure that, dear woman. We, as readers, watch the slow, painful motions of Tara trying to break free from this toxic environment. I rallied behind her in her transition. But I mourned her inability to warn Emily of the nightmare that she was encountering in the likes of her demented brother, Shawn, before they married. I also mourned Tara's constant returning to the seen of the crime, almost like a battered wife syndrome, seeking approval and acceptance. Gene and Shawn poisoned this well. While I celebrate Tara's eventual life achievements, I know in my heart that she will always be broken inside from the entrapment she lived through and continues to live through. It is most difficult to bloom in life when your very thoughts are suffocated before they can even find a voice. It is my sincere hope that Tara's words, truth-bound or not, will reach into that darkness that exists in others right now in order for them to find their own voice. Breaking free seems like the weight of granite tied to one's ankles. We, as a society, are so observant and wise after the fact. Seeing eyes that blur into blindness. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House and to Tara Westover for the opportunity. I was blown away by this book. Tara Westover grew up under the watchful eye of a survivalist and fundamentalist family. Her parents did not believe in sending children to school for fear of being brainwashed, they did not believe in doctors, hospitals or medication. Whenever a member of the family was injured they would be treated at home with tinctures, herbs, and homemade remedies. There is a lot more to the story than this brief de I was blown away by this book. Tara Westover grew up under the watchful eye of a survivalist and fundamentalist family. Her parents did not believe in sending children to school for fear of being brainwashed, they did not believe in doctors, hospitals or medication. Whenever a member of the family was injured they would be treated at home with tinctures, herbs, and homemade remedies. There is a lot more to the story than this brief description. The book is captivating, emotional, and powerful. The writing is beautiful and the author makes emphasis in recounting her memories and struggles as faithfully as she remembers them. Her journey is incredible and inspiring. Harrowing, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant, Educated is at times difficult to read and not at all what I expected, but I couldn't tear myself away from it. We just had to ask Dad, she said. There was something in the hard line of my father's face, in the quiet sigh of supplication he made every morning before he began family prayer, that made me think my curiosity was an obscenity, an af Wow. Harrowing, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant, Educated is at times difficult to read and not at all what I expected, but I couldn't tear myself away from it. We just had to ask Dad, she said. There was something in the hard line of my father's face, in the quiet sigh of supplication he made every morning before he began family prayer, that made me think my curiosity was an obscenity, an affront to all he'd sacrificed to raise me. Her father was convinced that the government was out to get them in every way, so his children got their education at home—not through books and studying, but through preparing for the End of Days by making survivalist kits, canning endless jars of fruit, and being prepared for a siege at any time. Tara's mother was a midwife and healer, so she helped her mother prepare the various tinctures and remedies she used. At other times she worked in her father's junkyard with her siblings, salvaging scrap metal and dealing with the various injuries that came with this work, because her parents didn't believe that doctors or hospitals could heal better than herbs and the Lord's power. The problem was, they were so isolated that there was no one to help ensure the children learned any actual facts, or protect them when behavior turned violent. When one of Tara's older brother's left the family compound in Idaho to study at Brigham Young University, book educated review the first time Tara realized there was a world outside her father's blustery preaching. But this decision didn't please her father, who believed college professors were liars and hypocrites sure to take Tara down a blasphemous path. In Educated, Westover shares her story about being caught between loyalty to family and God, and the desire to find your own way, to learn things on your own. She touches on learning about things like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement for the first time, and how difficult she found being on her own, dealing with the disapproval of her father. While this book deals with the educational triumphs Westover ultimately achieves despite all of the obstacles thrown in her way, this is a tough story to read as well, because she also shares what it is like to constantly have your self-worth undermined by those who claim to love you and want what's best for you. How can you ever truly believe you deserve a life in which you don't have to worry about abuse, humiliation, and degradation, when it is your own family causing these things. Where do you find the strength to say you've had enough when you know doing so might cost you your family. I'm late to the party in reading book educated review, and I will admit this wasn't quite the book I expected, as I thought it would focus more on Westover's education than her upbringing and the emotional and physical abuse she endured for years. Obviously, this, too, was part of her education, but at times I found the continuous pattern of behaviors really difficult to keep reading about. I realize that those around her must have felt the same way—just when they thought she might be making a breakthrough she let the same things happen to her over and over and over again. Even though this wasn't an enjoyable book per se, it was written so skillfully, and Westover's story was so compelling that I read the entire book in a day thanks to a flight and a long car ride. This is an important, poignant, thought-provoking book which demonstrates how one woman found the courage to achieve despite being surrounded by those who told her she shouldn't or she couldn't. What a punch this packed. See all of my reviews ator check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at. My dental hygienist even wrote it down because she asked me for a good book recommendation. That was in between spitting and rinsing, of course. I love memoirs written by unusual people. My dental hygienist even wrote it down because she asked me for a good book recommendation. That was in between spitting and rinsing, of course. I love memoirs written by unusual people. Tara Westover is not only highly educated, but she is stubborn as a bulldog and pulled herself up by the steel-toed boots she wore as a child working in her family's Idaho junkyard. The first class room she ever entered was the first day of her freshman college year at age 17. She had never seen a doctor. Never taken even an ibuprofen. She had no birth certificate. She didn't even know her birthday. She didn't know she was supposed to wash her hands after using the restroom. She had never heard of the civil rights movement or the Holocaust. Yet, despite these odds, she rose to the position of earning her Ph. D from the prestigious Cambridge University. Can you imagine the extremeness of dangerous and rural, poverty-stricken Idaho when compared to Cambridge. If you are familiar with the grand dining hall of Harry Potter's Hogwarts, you have an idea book educated review the scale and beauty of such a hallowed site of academia. Talk about a fish out of water story. At the heart of her memoir lies Tara's unrelenting drive to be accepted by her family despite her eventual success with higher education and her rebirth into a different world altogether. She valiantly tries to stop the cycle of violence that involves her older brother. Her father was stirred by his own religious beliefs, but his mental illness was what propelled their family into doomsday mode. He was a devout survivalist and determined to take his entire family with him into the darkness. I listened to the audiobook and it was a phenomenal production. Heartbreaking at times, but it is an ultimately uplifting and inspiring story. So this book is billed as being along the same lines as 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. The family has strong beliefs that center the So this book is billed as being along the same lines as 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. The family has strong beliefs that center them on their mountain and away from worldly things. Technically, the story is that the family is homeschooled. 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. Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review. Buck Peak - a dangerous place to live. Tara Westover grew up on a mountain with a paranoid, volatile father who spent his days preparing for book educated review end of the world; a submissive mother who was blind to her children's hurt, five brothers and a sister. Tara's story is one of courage, strength and struggle as a child and as a young woman. To have endured the ridiculous demands a Buck Peak - a dangerous place to live. Tara Westover grew up on a mountain with a paranoid, volatile father who spent his days preparing for the end of the world; a submissive mother who book educated review blind to her children's hurt, five brothers and a sister. Tara's story is one of courage, strength and struggle as a child and as a young woman. To have endured the ridiculous demands and beliefs of her father. I really am such a positive reviewer for the most part, but this book I unfortunately found disappointing. I had read so many glowing reviews for this book I was expecting greatness. I really am such a positive reviewer for the most part, but this book I unfortunately found disappointing. I had read so many glowing reviews for this book I was expecting greatness. I finished this book well over a week ago and I have sat on this review, because I just am not sure how to be honest without criticizing a persons life. On a very positive note I thought the message of this book was wonderful education is extremely important. There are also some things in this book I found a little hard to believe. But really in all honesty none of the things stated above cause me to not love this book, it just did not hold my attention. I needed some light moments in the midst of all these horrible childhood memories. Can she ever escape the past. Yeah, I made that sound like one of the sleazy thrillers I'm fond of but Educated is a memoir, not a potboiler. I don't normally read memoirs but I decided to take Random House up on their offer when they came knocking. Educated is the story of Tara Westover's childhood on Buck's Peak, a mount When a girl raised on a mountain in Idaho by her survivalist fundamentalist Mormon family sets foot in a classroom for the first time at the age of 17, how will things turn out. Can she ever escape the past. Yeah, I made that sound like one of the sleazy thrillers I'm fond of but Educated is a memoir, not a potboiler. I don't normally read memoirs but I decided to take Random House up on their offer when they came knocking. Educated is the story of Tara Westover's childhood on Buck's Peak, a mountain in Idaho, and her eventual leaving the mountain behind to pursue and education. It doesn't sound very interesting when you say it like that but her upbringing was book educated review. Raised by a anti-government survivalist and fundamentalist Mormon father, Tara's early life was anything but ordinary: little education other than learning to read, being nearly worked to death in the scrapyard by her father, tormented by her probably-schizophrenic brother, not even sure of her own birthday. And then she decides to go to college. The first third of the book was pretty bleak. I kept forgetting it wasn't a work of fiction and wanted to see a couple people dead in the snow. Once Tara goes to college, it's her against her family's beliefs. We all know how hard people cling to beliefs, just look at the ongoing debate on who the best captain of the Enterprise was. Even though it's pretty clear that it's Jean-Luc Picard. Tara's journey was a trip back and forth through the labyrinth of her family's beliefs and a conflict between her desire to belong and the desire for more than just being someone's wife on a mountain. One thing I quite liked was that she never dragged book educated review family's Mormon beliefs through the mud even though it would have been the easiest thing in the world for her to book educated review and pretty understandable given everything it cost her. Parts of the book are heartbreaking and it makes the end that much more satisfying. Tara getting her PhD despite where she came from and what it cost her makes me think I've probably squandered some of the opportunities I've been given over the years. Make: 1974, regia di Tobe Hooper. Remake: 2003, regia di Marcus Nispel. È un esordio, e quindi parte delle osservazioni seguenti potrebbero essere giustificate. Make: 1974, regia di Tobe Hooper. Remake: 2003, regia di Marcus Nispel. È un esordio, e quindi parte delle osservazioni seguenti potrebbero essere giustificate. Make: 1977, regia di Wes Craven. Remake: 2006, regia di Alexandre Aja. Un altro problema per me immenso, smisurato, è che il libro è sempre promosso a pieni voti per il suo contenuto, per la sua storia, e non per il modo di raccontarla. Ancora una volata la trama ha eclissato lo stile. Poi, il tutto si giustifica invece col bipolarismo paterno. La più piccola di casa, Tara, è un magnifico esempio di resilienza, fiore nella concimaia si redime e salva andando al college approda addirittura a Cambridge e Harvardstudiando, educandosi, imparando. Un magnifico messaggio di speranza, che è bello raccogliere e far proprio. Una parte della famiglia Westover quella vera. Soprattutto si nasconde un libro notevolmente disarticolato, oserei dire sgangherato. E senza una qualche struttura, magari anche ondivaga o contorta. Accelerazioni improvvise sono seguite da brusche frenate, scatti e salti anticipano passi indietro. Non parlo solo dei salti temporali, a quelli siamo abituati, quelli vanno più che bene: a me sembra che la giovane Westover avesse o molta fretta di sfogarsi o cognizione di una fine da raggiungere in qualsiasi modo. Affronta ogni argomento, dalla descrizione della montagna alle violenze domestiche, con lo stesso identico tono, finendo, ovviamente, col piallare ogni cosa. Ho avuto spesso la sensazione di quegli scarabocchi che si schizzano mentre siamo al telefono o in riunione, e quindi, quando la nostra attenzione è altrove, e la mano gira e rigira, incide, rimane sullo stesso punto, e alla fine vattelapesca cosa volevamo disegnare, è solo un garbuglio di linee. Ho avuto spesso la sensazione di quei film dove uno viene pestato e ne esce con la gamba sinistra zoppicante e un brutto livido sullo stesso braccio — nella scena seguente, però, zoppica dalla destra, e il livido è sulla guancia invece che sul braccio. Il giardino di casa Westover. E così avanti per tutto il libro. È stato notato da più parti che il livello di credibilità di quanto raccontato da Westover non soddisfa appieno. Ma siccome il benedetto messaggio, o contenuto, è di quelli belli belli — ma siccome nella confusione qualche momento buono ci scappa, io tre stelle con qualche esitazione alla fine gliele do. Anche se ora, per giusto bilanciamento, la tentazione è andare a mettere la quinta a Elena Greco. Idaho This was impossible to put down. I usually save my audio books for my car trips, but I found myself listening to this one at home. A story about Tara and her childhood growing up in a Mormon family. Book educated review father was a survivalist and thought the world might end at any moment. Their family home was situated in book educated review shadow book educated review Buck Peak mountain and they lived in poverty. Tara and her six siblings endured much pain under the volatile father and one brother who proved to be quite dangerous. The mother s This was impossible to put down. Book educated review usually save my audio books for my car trips, but I found myself listening to this one at home. A story about Tara and her childhood growing up in a Mormon family. Her father was a survivalist and thought the world might end at any moment. Their family home was situated in the shadow of Buck Peak mountain and they lived in poverty. Tara and her six siblings endured much pain under the volatile father and one brother who proved to be quite dangerous. The mother seemed to be in denial and turned the other cheek time and again. Tara never attended school until the age of book educated review. She endured so much pain growing up with such a demanding and out of touch father. I was shocked at some of the life threatening situations she endured by having to work in book educated review fathers metal scrapping business. Lots of reviews on this one, I thought it was both shocking and uplifting to read book educated review Tara was able to pull herself out of the family chaos and become a successful woman. I was able to read along with the audio. I didn't like what I read in the beginning. But it's a reminder of what harm religion can do. But quickly we came out of this Sam Harris-like territory, and went into more chaos. There are a few cases like Tara's. But not everyone of them can write like her. She reminds me of Beryl Markham with her biography. Reading this book was very much aligning with the values that I hold sacred. The written word, if acquired, can be a formidable weapon. Well, this one was a special book. I didn't like what I read in the beginning. But it's a reminder of what harm religion can do. But quickly we came out of this Sam Harris-like territory, and went into more chaos. There are a few cases like Tara's. But not everyone of them can write like her. She reminds me of Beryl Markham with her biography. Reading this book was very much aligning with the values that I hold sacred. The written word, if acquired, can be a formidable weapon. I gave this book 5 stars knowing that it was an antidote to ignorance. Every year, in order for the publishing industry to survive, one poor traumatised adult must delve deep into the blocked recesses of their minds and produce the Next Top Abuse Memoir. One could argue we all have Joan Crawford to blame for this. A couple dec Every year, in order for the publishing industry to survive, one poor traumatised adult must delve deep into the blocked recesses of their minds and produce the Next Top Abuse Memoir. One could argue we all have Joan Crawford to blame for this. If the conifers and sagebrush are soloists, the wheat field is a corps de ballet, each stem following all the rest in bursts of movement, a million ballerinas bending, one after the other, as great gales dent their golden heads. Assisting her parents in their roles. The same sun appeared each morning, swept over the valley and dropped behind the peak. The snows that fell in winter always melted in the spring. Our lives were a cycle—the cycle of the day, the cycle of the seasons—circles of perpetual change that, when complete, meant nothing had changed at all. I believed my family was a part of this immortal pattern, that we were, in some sense, eternal. But eternity belonged only to the mountain. Birth certificates were viewed as a tool that the government could use to force them to make their children attend government-run schools and be taught ideas fed by the government. Medical doctors, clinics, likewise — another way for the government to know where they were, what they were up to, another method to steal their freedom to choose, to take away their autonomy. Guns are added in quantity. In between, there is some lovely writing, some horrific stories, even some sweet reminiscing about this home, the stories of home, the stories her father told of her of the mountains around their home, and other stories, including her relationship with her father. He never told me what to do if I left the mountain, if I crossed oceans and continents and found myself in strange terrain, where I could no longer search the horizon for the Princess. As for how her father, in particular, viewed his personally manufactured version of faith, and then twisted it to enforce his desires and to lend credence to his bizarre demands, or excuse his dangerous commands and behavior - nothing can possibly excuse that. Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book. Written with the skill and resonance of a work of fiction, Tara Westover's memoir is heart-breaking and frank and yet hopeful in its telling. Westover was born in 1986, grown up in a rural Idaho radical Mormon Family dominated by her father Gene who was determined to raise his children away from the clutches of the government and the wider world. She had never heard of the Holocaust, Napoleon, or Martin Luther King and she had thought Europe was a country. When she gains a place in college throug Written with the skill and resonance of a work of fiction, Tara Westover's memoir is heart-breaking and frank and yet hopeful in its telling. Westover was born in 1986, grown up in a rural Idaho radical Mormon Family dominated by her father Gene who was determined to raise his children away from the clutches of the government and the wider world. She had never heard of the Holocaust, Napoleon, or Martin Luther King and she had thought Europe was a country. This is without doubt a terrific, page turning book, well written, often times brutal and shocking. However this is Tara's story warts and all and she tells it well. I admired how she overcame her obstacles and produced an amazing book as well as an opportunity to tell her story to the world. A compelling and interesting read and a writer than oozes talent and I look forward more work by Tara Westover. After reading a book like this I am always conscious of the family members behind the story and how they feel about their dirty laundry being aired in public and I researched a little on the internet and there are members of her family who don't seem to agree with Tara's memories or some of the accounts in this book and I am sure books like this can be quite painful for families to read. However this is Tara's story and I can only read,review and rate the book on the written word in front of me and how I reacted to those words Recommended reading and a book that would make a terrific book club read. My thanks to Net Galley for an opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review. A very high 4 stars. Educated is a powerful and heartbreaking memoir. Tara Westover grew up in Book educated review in a Mormon family. She is the youngest of seven children growing up on an isolated rural property. Until she was 17 years old, she had never gone to school and was barely homeschooled. Clearly brilliant, she managed to get into college at Brigham Young and eventually made her w A very high 4 stars. Educated is a powerful and heartbreaking memoir. Tara Westover grew up in Idaho in a Mormon family. She is the youngest of seven children growing up on an isolated rural property. Until she was 17 years old, she had never gone to school and was barely homeschooled. There was love in her home life, but it came at a ridiculously high price — intellectual, emotional and physical. As just one example, there are a few harrowing scenes of physical injuries that her parents were unwilling to treat with the use of conventional medicine. While Westover clearly values her ability to get an education and learn about the world, the consequential separation from her family also came at its own high price. Westover wrote this memoir in her late 20s. I suspect that the story she has to tell is not over. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy. Born in Idaho to a father opposed to public education, she never attended school. She spent her days working in her father's junkyard or stewing herbs for her mother, a self-taught herbalist and midwife. She was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom, and after that first taste, she pursued learning for the next decade. Born in Idaho to a father opposed to public education, she never attended school. She spent her days working in her father's junkyard or stewing herbs for her mother, a self-taught herbalist and midwife. She was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom, and after that first taste, she pursued learning for the next decade. She returned to Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD in history in 2014. Why it's better to think yourself lazy than think yourself in distress, I'm not sure. More than better: it was vital.

It doesn't sound very interesting when you say it like that but her upbringing was crazy. She had never heard of the Holocaust, Napoleon, or Martin Luther King and she had thought Europe was a country. A very thought-provoking book on many levels. Case in point the first car accident in the book, Tara's father offered to pay for the damaged tractor. Westover is careful to present the good parts with the bad: She had loving relationships with her grandparents and a few friends outside the family; her father was at times tender; she was permitted to participate in local theater; and she worked in town sometimes. So why didn't I fall all in love with this book? Educated: A Memoir scalded the very edges of my soul. For the longest time, I thought this was an artsy cover showing the back of a woman. An astonishing account of deprivation, confusion, survival, and success.