Educated Book Review

Professor Sims

Eng 5M

10/15/2020

Educated, the summary

The memoir Educated, by American author, Tara Westover tells about a young girl growing up in a strict Mormon household under rural conditions in Idaho. Her father raised his family under very strict rules and beliefs that he implemented on his children. He refused to send his kids off to get a proper education because he was convinced, they would be brain washed. The reason he was so strict was because he was distrustful and somewhat fearful of the government, therefore he did not allow his children to attend school. Most of Tara’s childhood was spent working in their father’s junkyard along with her six siblings. Their mother Faye attempted to homeschool the children, but her attempt fell short. There is no doubt that Westover faced many obstacles in her youth. However, in my oppinion those same setbacks are what drives her to be successful as an adult.

Tara Westover’s accomplishments

Despite the obstacles Tara faced educationally, and the abuse she faced at home, she managed to teach herself algebra, and prepared for the ACT on her own. Her hard work and determination paid off when she was accepted to Brigham Young University and earned a doctorate degree in history at Trinity College. She is now a successfully published author which includes her book Educated. The autobiography received many awards and recognition including an interview and review from Bill gates. Not to mention the 2018 Goodreads choice award. Her memoir Educated debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list and was a finalist for a number of national awards.

What was the purpose?

I believe Tara Westover chose to tell her story because she wanted to inspire others to pursue their educational goals no matter what obstacles they might face. Westover dug deep and courageously told the audience the vulnerable hardships she was challenged with and how she tackled her problems in order to receive the education she knew she deserved.

Tara never realized that her childhood was out of the ordinary until later on in her life. Since her and her family lived isolated on a hill, she never had many opportunities to interact with anyone outside of her family. When Westover began her college education it was then that she realized she was raised much differently than others. She also began to gain a lot of confidence in herself and learned to voice her own oppinion, which was a huge turning point for Tara! As a child Tara was told what to do, and what was right and wrong from her father. Unfortunately, her father was not an open-minded person and wrote off anything or anyone he felt like he couldn’t trust, including family. Westover shared with the audience about the time she went over to her grandmother’s house and felt uncomfortable because the house was filled with books and was neat and tidy. Her father convinced her that people who are very hygienic and educated are uptight and followers of the government. She even a shared a memory she had at her grandmother’s house when she didn’t wash her hands after using the restroom. Her grandmother was surprised and asked her father, “Don’t you teach you children to wash their hands after they use the toilet? He answered, “I teach them no to piss on their hands.” However, when Tara went to the university, she was exposed to many people that were similar to her grandparents. Slowly, she got accustomed to interacting with her classmates and began a new “normal” life.

Although being accepted into a university is a big deal for anyone, I think it was a huge adjustment for Westover. As mentioned previously, she did not have a normal childhood so going to college would be yet another challenge. Although her relationship with her family was unhealthy, it was all she knew. Typically, when students transfer to a university it is the first time out on their own, away from their parents. Similar to Tara, they become their own person and begin to build their own identity. I think Westover does a great job relating to her audience because she also went through a cultural change when she went to college. Granted, Tara had more of a culture shock than most students, I think the audience can still understand how Westover felt as a new student at the university. It is clear that Westover gained more confidence in herself when she attended the university. Westover proved to the audience that the purpose of telling her story was to inspire others by telling them they can also persevere.

Who is the audience, and why?

I think the targeted audience of the book is students who are pursuing a higher education. Although Tara did not receive a proper education until almost her adult life, she still did not let that stop her from receiving the schooling she always wanted. Everyone faces different hardships in life that may prohibit them from achieving their goals. Westover did a great job of sharing her story and becoming vulnerable to her audience. I think those who are pursuing an education can find motivation in Westover’s story.

Rating

Overall, I think this book is well written and effective. Westover does a great job at keeping her audience engaged by telling her most vulnerable stories. She is descriptive and makes the audience feel like they are a part of the story and going through the same experiences as her. I would rate the book 4 stars and would recommend it to my fellow colleagues. I found it to be an easy read but not boring at all. I noticed myself getting lost in the book and when I was finally able to put the book down, hours had passed. I found it courageous and noble of Westover to be able to open up to the audience and share her story. Honestly, I didn’t know that this was a memoir, I would think it’s a fictional book because of how rurally she and her siblings were raised (yes, it’s that dramatic). The only thing I would say I was confused about was the timeline of when Westover’s childhood took place. The first chapter mentioned that there was no telephone available in the house, and automatically I thought the book took place in the early to mid-1900’s only because it is unusual for there not to be a landline in the house.

Educated: A Memoir

Written by Tara Westover

Published by Random House, Feb/18/2018

International ISBN 978-0-525-51067-3

Print List Price $ 28.00