#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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I don’t seek out memoir unless there’s something unique that stirs my imagination. I read Educated for my book club. And so glad I did. It was an indepth look into the life of a young girl raised in challenging, difficult conditions and her journey to become a strong self-reliant adult. No easy task, given her family background. This is a must read, in my opinion.
This book was fantastic! What a fascinating and inspiring story.
I had to keep reminding myself she was basically brain-washed as I couldn’t believe she didn’t rebel at certain times.
A friend loaned me this book and I had low expectations going in. Boy was I surprised! It hooked me immediately and got better and more interesting as it went along.
I was given this book from a friend who had read it. Astounding, is probably the right words that this girl had survived and was so very intelligent given her school background. What a family, a father who had bizarre ideas and a family that followed. I truly was awed at the life she had. And even more happier that she was smart enough to leave and become the wonderful writer and person she is today. I wish her much success and happiness in her life.
Educated by Tara Westover
Difficult to read, impossible to put down. This book gives a good picture of “Never let your background put your back on the ground”
Tara didn’t just grow up in a junkyard, she grew up in a mormonist home with a dad who was a religious fanatic, she didn’t step a foot into the classroom until she was 17, because Mormons believe homeschooling is a commandment from God and Doctors are sons of Perdition, her father never let’s them get medical attention even during near death incidents,he literally prepares for rapture(doomsday) by Hoarding oil, food and money to be used for the next life. Against all limitations(gender inequality, physical abuse from her brother) she got a scholarship Cambridge University(Ph. D) and later became a Gates Scholar and Harvard fellow .Tara journeyed from Negative liberty to positive liberty (cue from Isaiah Berlin’s concept). ,her ability to teach herself blew my mind, she taught herself trigonometry,algebra, made a pact with herself not to be defined by her challenges and background, and that stood out for me. Education emancipated her from mental slavery.
Violent and sensationalized. Not that people shouldn’t bear witness to the kind of abuse Westover lived through, but in my experience of talking with people about this book, all it did was confirm a set of pre-existing stereotypes about e.g. homeschoolers and back-to-the-landers.
A great book
Terrible book. Ungrateful child.
What an interesting memoir by a woman who lived through circumstances that are nearly unfathomable. Living through fear of the government, the medical establishment, and society in general, Westover survives and is able to move forward to further her education and her life beyond what seems imaginable.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a memoir.
A unique, eye-opening memoir chronicling author Tara Westover’s journey that reads like a schedule of improvement. Born to parents who rejected conventional society in preference of living as survivalists in the rural mountains of Utah, the author tells how she broke free from familial expectations to forge her way from being homeschooled to a highly impressive education overseas. A triumphant story that touches on multiple levels, Educated addresses family dysfunction, self-esteem and the courage of conviction.
I loved this book.. very eye opening account of growing up off the grid.
In her gripping memoir, Tara Westover paints a brutal picture of an insulated childhood shaped by ignorance, conspiracy theories, and violence. Her parents—strict Mormons distrustful of the medical and political establishment—never allow her to attend school, so Tara teaches herself to read and do rudimentary math and appreciate music, all the while concocting herbal remedies with her mother and salvaging junkyard metal alongside her brothers and domineering father. She escapes to Brigham Young University where she confronts her own ignorance with scathing honesty.
Her college classes provide a peek into the world of academia, everything from using bubble sheets and blue books to discovering sweeping historical events like the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement.
A brilliant mind is awakened.
Her intellectual prowess propels her farther from home, first to Cambridge University, then to Harvard, and back to Cambridge where she earns a PhD in history. But her education comes at a price. After enduring a series of heartbreaking tragedies in her domestic life, she’s eventually disowned by a family trapped by their own limited perspectives.
Westover’s memoir explores how dark fissures of ignorance that can rend both hearts and minds. I was deeply impacted by her story, and came away with a fresh appreciation for the role of education in society. Never again will I take my own education for granted.
Amazing story of resilience and fortitude
An incredible tale of coming from the fringe of society and succeeding in a most spectacular way! I loved this book!
It is a study in resilience. The author has experienced love, joy and trauma and has risen to lead her life . The human spirit can endure and survive, its a lesson to keep in mind.
Very good,excellent book.
This memoir opens our eyes to the world of cults and the children that live in them. The fear of government interference in her family’s life caused many hardships for the author and her siblings. Learning to navigate the new world of education held the author move to a stronger understanding of the hold her family culture has on her life even today.
Education is an account of a journey beyond the limiting boundaries imposed by an unconventional childhood. Tara Westover shares the struggle of dealing with complex feelings of love for her family and desire to grow as a person. Her story is captivating and inspiring, touching on the deepest desires to love unlovable people, and obtain knowledge that appears to be unattainable.
I’m not sure how to rate this, but is anyone when they read a story of another person’s life?
I really enjoyed this. Especially on audio.
I’ve never lived in a religious household let alone a devout one but the insights were incredibly…eye opening.
I just wish I’d gotten like a where are they now type thing