#1 NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER • One of the most acclaimed books of our time: an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University “Extraordinary . . . an act of courage and self-invention.”—The New York Times NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW … Times
NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • ONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR • BILL GATES’S HOLIDAY READING LIST • FINALIST: National Book Critics Circle’s Award In Autobiography and John Leonard Prize For Best First Book • PEN/Jean Stein Book Award • Los Angeles Times Book Prize
Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her 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. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
“Beautiful and propulsive . . . Despite the singularity of [Westover’s] childhood, the questions her book poses are universal: How much of ourselves should we give to those we love? And how much must we betray them to grow up?”—Vogue
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • O: The Oprah Magazine • Time • NPR • Good Morning America • San Francisco Chronicle • The Guardian • The Economist • Financial Times • Newsday • New York Post • theSkimm • Refinery29 • Bloomberg • Self • Real Simple • Town & Country • Bustle • Paste • Publishers Weekly • Library Journal • LibraryReads • Book Riot • Pamela Paul, KQED • New York Public Library
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What a brilliant woman Tara Westover must be to be accepted into prestigious graduate programs! Then she goes on to write outstanding dissertations while dealing with issues related to her dysfunctional family. Her childhood made my hair stand on end!
I loved “The Glass Castle”. This book is in that vein. Unbelievable, but true. A view of the way others live. Informative about mental health and overzealous religious beliefs. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as an eye opener and to experience a life I cannot imagine.
This is truly one time when fact is better than fiction. You can’t make this stuff up! Tara Westover is a modern-day hero who has overcome near-impossible odds. Her story is raw and inspiring. Some parts were hard to get through, but I’m so glad that I did. A must read!
Don’t miss a chance to see the world from another perspective and gain a deeper understanding of another lifestyle. Definitely worth your time!
A young woman describes the upbringing she experienced in a fanatical and paranoid household in the hills of Idaho, where she and her siblings were victims of ongoing physical and emotional abuse. Difficult to read. I admire her self-empowerment in rising above and escaping that reality.
Cautionary tale about the toll that lack of education and mental illness takes on a family and the strength of character and will it takes to break familial bonds in order to survive. Everyone should read this book!
Great memoir of a woman overcoming her strict upbringing to forge her own path in the world.
An enjoyable read – both upsetting and rewarding characters. Being autobiographical I found some of Tara’s memories nearly unbelievable in this day and age. Similar to but different from Th Glass Castle.
This was a fantastic book. It was hard to believe sometimes that this was a memoir. Some of the things that Tara had to go through were unbelievable but true. She is a very strong person in search of truth and an education. I highly recommend this book.
I’ve only recently gotten into reading biographies. I cannot believe how this woman was raised and what she managed to accomplish. This woman truly proves that you can do whatever you see you set your mind to. BUT if you do decide to read it after the book’s blurb, DON’T read the author’s bio. I think it is more impressive if you learn about it as the story is told.
There are memoirs… and than there is Educated. Educated is a memoir that goes beyond the scope of human emotions and delves into the fragility of the human psyche. Tara Westover bravely shows the reader a life many of us could not imagine, much less live through and come out on top…not only academically, but also in life.
The author’s many accomplishments are a testament to her resilience, dedication, and intelligence to live a life she most deserves and to settle for nothing less.
A wonderful exploration of family dynamics, unique lifestyles, and the importance of an education. Well worth reading!
Amazing coming of age story. Child abuse comes in many forms. Heartrending but inspiring.
This book depicts a young girl growing up inside a strict, exclusionary family…raised with fundamentalist ideals, but sadly justifying mental illness and abuse as normal. Her overwhelming persistence to learn and gut wrenching difficulty pulling away from those she loves is an unforgettable journey for the reader. It’s also a fascinating exploration of childhood learning…what happens when everything you have been taught from infancy to burgeoning adult …behavior to history is askew from the wider world, and you are driven to learn,accept,and challenge all you believe. This book will bring on multiple levels of discussion.
It was excellent! Hard to believe that the author escaped into brilliance.
This book was incredible. Westover’s story was and is still amazing.
Her life in Utah without schooling and then on to BYU, Cambridge and
Harvard was so very interesting. A must read.
This book was disturbing on many levels. It was sad that a survivalist family had such twisted values on education and abused this girl so badly. It was almost inconceivable that she could go on to a university and then college and PHD without any formal or homeschooling primary or secondary education. I did not feel good after reading this book.
For me, best book I’ve read so far this year. Wonderfully written memoir of dysfunctional family. Her parents did not believe in sending their kids to school or to the doctors even when there was a serious life threatening condition.
Her father was a religious zealot who would not waver from his narrow view of the world.
There was mental and physical abuse and denial of these issues.
That the author was able to overcome what seems to me overwhelming obstacles is a miracle. That she could enter college without a day spent in a classroom is amazing.
This is a must read book for everyone. Once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down
Well written, excellent storyline and character development
This book was an amazing story of a young women and all of the things she over came to become the person she could be. It was hard to read in places but I didn’t want to put it down