Author: Tara Westover
Number of Pages: 329
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Review:
Tara Westover begins Educated by describing her family’s beliefs about school. Tara goes on to tell her story, the story of a girl who makes something of herself when she has come from nothing. Coming from nothing is not an understatement, she has never been to school before and spends her days working in the mountains of Idaho scraping with her dad. Tara works hard and is determined not to give up on her passion to learn when she studies and passes the ACT with a 29 resulting in an acceptance letter to BYU. This truly changes the trajectory of her life in every way, allowing her to experience the real world. After an opportunity to study abroad, Tara goes on to study at Cambridge and Harvard, eventually earning her doctorate. These choices were those of which Tara’s family would never understand or approve of. She was a changed person, a new self. The way she puts it at the end of the book sums it up better than I ever could. She states, “You could call this selfhood many things. Transformation. Metamorphosis. Falsity. Betrayal. I call it education.”
The author’s childhood is unlike anything I have ever heard of. She truly captivates you as she graphically explains her family’s radical mormon views in a surprisingly non-condemning way. Things such as never going to school, never seeing a doctor but rather being healed by God and her mother herbs, and being abused by her father and older brothers truly demonstrate the unparalleled nature of the author’s upbringing.
All in all, the abnormal lifestyle that the author’s elucidates allures readers to continue to discover the family dynamics as the book unfolds. It is an intriguing read that will keep you on your toes (and make you thankful for both school and doctors!).
Wow the concept of coming from nothing and making it is always interesting and worth sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really solid book review. I was intrigued from the beginning when you stated came from nothing and was able to make herself into something. I most definitely feel like this is a book that when people read it, they will be looking at their lives and saying what can I complain about I have it easy compared to this girl.
ReplyDeleteThe song lyrics "started from the bottom now we here" is what I started thinking of while reading your review. I think its so fascinating when people who come from nothing, evolve into something. It just really shows that self motivation is the key to life. I think it also really serves as a reality check for individuals who have had an easy life full of hand outs. Although there also considered successful, its not self earned, therefore making it less valuable.
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