Educated
By: Tara Westover
A memoir
I want to preface this by saying that when I was given a quick synopsis of this book, I was curious but not overly excited. I have never been a big memoir fan (unless it was something historical), so I had honestly set the bar low. Talk about judging a book by its cover.
Because of the preconceived notions I had about the book, the author, and the main premise, my drive to read this book wasn’t totally there. It took me a bit of time to really get into it, and like they say about many other books and TV shows, you have to get passed the beginning to get to the good stuff.
Man, am I glad I kept reading; this book is phenomenal. Not what I would normally read, but nonetheless satisfying and challenging. Tara discusses the difficulties and uniqueness of growing up on a mountain in Idaho with a family that was always waiting and preparing for the End Times. Her father, a proud, skeptical man; her mother, a timid housewife and midwife; and several brothers and a sister, all of which contributed to serving the family in one capacity or another. Tara, for the purpose of writing this book, did change the names of the characters, and after reading from cover to cover one can understand why.
We all have demons and certain family members that prove to be more than difficult. Whether it’s abuse, a mental illness, jelousy, perspectives of religion, politics, or the role of men versus women in the home and the workplace, there is always something lurking that a family must acknowedlged and deal with. Not to say that these issues are universal for everyone, or that they are dealt with in the same way. However, Tara highlights how complex and dynamic a family situation can truly be.
Tara discusses key memories and events during her childhood years that not only describe who and what her family was in their uniqueness, but how these events created who she thought she was. Perception is definitely everything. And when you live in a state of uncertainty, always ready to exercise fight or flight, reality can often be misconstrued by more than one party.
Without giving away too many more details, the root of a lot of Tara’s problems boils down to the relationship she has with her father. Especially in reagrds to edcaution, and as I stated above the role of men versus women. Tara’s father is very skeptical of the government and all entities tied to it, so Tara and her siblings were “homeschooled” the way their mother and father thought they should be. Each child had their own opinions about education, and it wasn’t really until her teens that Tara really startred to think about the possibility of an education outside her home. Again, without spoiling too much, let’s just say that Tara defies some odds, and over the course of a long journey, discovers who she is and suceeds in the realms of higher education. Along the way, she is faced with the demons of her past and the ever changing relationships of her family members, both good and bad.
To me, one of the biggest underlying themes of this memoir is self discovery. It’s about overcoming obstacles and preconceived notions, breaking down barriers both real and imaginative. It’s about defying odds and breaking through glass ceilings that other people create for you. It’s about staying true to who you are, while realizing that change is okay and growth is necessary. After reading this book from cover to cover, I am proud to say I would recommend this book to anyone. It is harder to get through at times because of the real life and real world scenarios she describes, but it nonetheless sheds light on the importance of resilience, determination, hope and empathy. Tara is so inspiring and I am so thankful I took the time to read her story, and you should too!
You can purchase ‘Educated’ from Amazon here or at Barnes & Noble here. Happy reading! XO, Natalie
