Educated is a powerful testament of how we can choose to stop being defined by our past.
It is a thought provoking memoir that left me with a strong feeling of unease long after I finished reading it.
Its main theme is privilege. We don’t get to choose circumstances we are born into.
It also explores belonging, shame, forgiveness as well as the ability to become an observer, rather than a victim of your past.
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.
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 the 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 travelled too far, if there was still a way home.
Sometimes, to break a thought pattern, we need a perspective. An ability to distance ourselves from our emotional involvement, to see things for what they are – i.e. to distinguish between facts vs. our opinions / stories about them.
Westover did this brilliantly in her raw memoir.
You can see her coming-of-age story through her mature observer’s eyes.
You can feel how much pain she must have bravely experienced to get to the point where she is now.
Her writing evoked a strong emotion in me.
As I immersed myself in Educated, I started experiencing deep gratitude; for being born into a loving and nurturing family; for them enabling me to question the world; for them loving me for who I was, no conditions attached.
Imagine growing up in a family that completely cuts you out of society.
Imagine being physically abused whilst thinking it may be your fault, that there must something wrong with you.
Imagine feeling like you don’t belong anywhere else but to your highly dysfunctional family.
This is not a competition who had it ‘better’ or ‘worse’.
Not having to experience any of those points above, that is privilege.
I am so impressed with Westover’s courage.
Her ability to recognise that she could want more for herself.
Her willingness to stand on her own even though she, like majority of us, yearned to belong.
That curiosity that lead her to define her own life and own her story.
Just bravo, nothing less than that.
Possible triggers: domestic abuse, and abuse in general. This book is quite graphical and left me disturbed, if you are sensitive to these topics, please take care of yourself.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Random House for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
OK it’s a big big coincidence but I just added this one on my reading wishlist today before I read your review. Your wonderful review makes me even happier I added it to my toppling booklist :-).
Your review is awesome. I could not imagine what it would be like growing up in an abusive home. Thank you for including the trigger warnings.
I think it’s great that it has the message to become an observer rather than a victim of your past- love how you put that!! This sounds like a really powerful book- great review!
I am still thinking about this book and am so impressed with both the writing as well as excellent story telling full of compassion and forgiveness.
Fantastic review! I agree with everything that you talked about here! Westover is such an inspiring woman, and an incredible writer. I could not put this book down!
Thank you. I’m so happy to hear you felt the same way. What a book.
I read this and couldn’t believe what I was reading! I was actually thinking about this book today… I was visiting a family members church and the pastor reminded me of Tara’s father…. not good! Couldn’t wait to leave there! yikes.
Oh no, that doesn’t sound like an enjoyable experience at all. Big hugs.
Same here. I had to pause many times to fully digest what I was reading. I am still thinking about this book and don’t think I’ll forget it anytime soon.
I do LOVE this book and I agree with everything you wrote. And it’s been some time, but I still think about this book. Great review!
I don’t know what happened to your comment, it went into my spam folder and I only now saw it. No idea what happened there, sorry!
Thanks for your king words and thank you for stopping by.