Review: Educated by Tara Westover
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The Basics
Title: Educated
Author: Tara Westover
Published: 2018
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Nonfiction — Memoir
Book Synopsis
In Educated, Tara Westover recounts the hardships she overcame to receive her education. The book begins with her childhood in rural Idaho, where she lived with her strict Mormon family. Distrustful of the government, her parents prevented her and her siblings from entering the public schools but also failed to provide consistent homeschooling. Their distrust extended to the medical establishment, which resulted in neither Tara nor her siblings receiving professional medical care in routine or urgent situations. Forced to work alongside her father in the family’s scrapyard, Tara was regularly placed in harm’s way due to her father’s flagrant disregard for safety protocols, and when one of her older brothers became violent, her safety was threatened even more. After one of her siblings moved away to attend college, Tara decided to follow in his footsteps, teaching herself years’ worth of material in order to attain a high enough mark on her ACTs to be accepted into college. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Tara went on to receive both a Master’s and Doctorate from Cambridge University, as well as a fellowship at Harvard University. As Tara’s life increasingly diverted from her former life in Idaho, she struggled to keep one foot in both worlds.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
I am always a bit apprehensive to read books that are as hyped as Educated. Oftentimes, such a book fails to live up to the anticipation surrounding it, and I am left with a sense of disappointment upon finishing it. Educated, however, bucked this trend: it not only met but surpassed my expectations.
Educated is a raw, emotional, and at times, heartbreaking account of Tara Westover’s life. Tara endured both physical and verbal abuse at the hands of family members and saw her education, as well as her overall wellbeing, neglected by her parents. Throughout the book, she strives to deliver an unbiased account of events, going so far as to include footnotes that detail how her memory of a given event differed from that of another family member. She also does not shy away from discussing such personal subjects as the psychological toll of the abuse she withstood.
The writing itself is masterful. Each story, each chapter, and even each word feels deliberate. Unlike some memoirs that include seemingly superfluous descriptions, everything in Educated feels purposeful and helps to move the narrative forward. The structure of the book also aids the narrative’s progression. Moving linearly from childhood to adulthood, each story is built upon the context established by previous chapters.
What stood out to me the most, however, is Tara herself. In spite of all of the hardships that she encountered, she kept pushing forward and was able to achieve her goal. She had the courage to defy her family and leave behind everything she ever knew in order to change her life. Her story shows that even in the darkest of times, one can find hope.
The not so good
For once, I cannot think of something that could have been improved.
Overall
Educated is a beautifully written, moving memoir that should be on everyone’s to-read list. It is a story of resiliency, courage, and hope.
Have you read Educated? If so, share your thoughts with me in the comments section!
