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Amisha | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9
Rating: ****
Educated is a heartfelt memoir exploring the depth and importance of education. Tara Westover came from a rural part of Idaho, where she lived with her family for her childhood. She grew up surrounded by mountains, fields, and her six other siblings. Tara never had access to an education, except for infrequent, insufficient, and short homeschooling sessions in which her mother gave out books to read and learn from. Additionally, school was never an option for her since her father was a religious extremist and he perceived that all schools are ploys structured by the government to brainwash children and lead them away from god. As a result, Tara never really had any real schooling until she decided that her family wasn’t going to hold her back. She was going to be the person she wanted to be, not the weak, fractured girl her parents and siblings perceived of her when she was at her father’s house in the mountains. This novel delves into Tara’s exploration of herself and those around her showing how much an education can change you, both mentally and emotionally.
This novel captivates your attention and urges you to continue reading to find out more about Westover’s struggles, accomplishments, and lifestyle. What makes it so engaging is how Westover writes about herself and her thoughts both during the events taking place and also sometimes while reflecting on the situation and how it shaped her. When she describes her interactions with her parents, siblings, and friends she includes both the feelings and thoughts coursing through her mind but also what she realizes later, now that she is writing this novel. Moreover, this novel shows the reader how Tara changes throughout her life and gains courage, inspiring the readers to do the same.
Maggie | Holmdel High School, Grade 11
Rating: *****
Until she was 17, all Tara Westover had known were the stories of corrupt schools, governments, and hospitals as she sat in her Idaho mountain house, waiting for the end of the world. Then she began to teach herself math and how to read and managed to get into Brigham Young University; she moved onto Harvard and Cambridge. She moved past the days of tending open gashes with medicinal herbs, domestic violence, Throughout her journey, Tara struggles to escape the "life [that] was narrated for [her] by others." To realize that her "voice might be as strong as theirs."
This book takes you by surprise. Or, it did for me, at least. I think that there were reasons for this:
1. I didn't pick this book out, plan to read it, or even know of its existence until my mom handed me a freshly bought copy and said that I should read it because President Obama read it.
2. I'm not a huge lover of nonfiction/memoirs (I find them to be tedious after a while)
But this book is absolutely BREATHTAKING: the writing, the structure, the introduction of new people and places and situations while smoothly incorporating her own epiphanies and weaving in and out of present and past. And I want to say that the creativity or plot creation was equally exquisite except that this craziness of growing up on conspiracy theories was Tara Westover's ACTUAL life. Her life's story is so intriguing and distinctive that it doesn't seem to be non-fiction. You are enraptured by every aspect of the strangeness, and moved by the artistry of her words and realizations.
“It’s strange how you give the people you love so much power over you.”
It's rare to find a completely captivating book that also moves you.
Megan | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9
Rating: ***
Tara Westover was raised in the mountains of rural Idaho in a family of survivalists. Growing up, she never received an education because her father, a religious extremist, was convinced that school was a government ploy to stray children away from God. Her family also did not believe in hospitals, resorting to her mother’s herbal tinctures as a substitute for medical attention. However, much to the disapproval of her father, Westover decides to attend college and make something of herself. Little did she know that attending college would pose many new challenges of its own. There, she learns about major events like the Holocaust for the first time, developing an interest in history. In a powerful and heartfelt autobiography, Westover recounts her life story and how she was able to overcome the hindrances that her family placed on her.
I have so much respect for Westover, and how she was able to overcome her traumatic childhood experiences and share her story with others. It takes so much will-power and strength to be able to stray away from everything that you’ve been taught your whole life, and it was really inspiring to watch Westover navigate those experiences. Sometimes, the story becomes so shocking that it is hard to believe that this is not a fantasy novel, but rather Westover’s real life experiences. Westover is not afraid to be vulnerable, recounting the brainwashing, abuse, and gaslighting that her family members inflicted upon her, as well as her difficult journey in cutting off ties with them. She also delves into the importance of education, something that many people take for granted, and how receiving an education allowed her to expand her perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an eye-opening memoir that will take readers on an emotional rollercoaster.
Shivani | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9
Rating: *****
WARNING: This talks about abuse, mental illness, severe injuries, etc.
Tara Westover was raised in a Mormon survivalist household in rural Idaho, completely cut off from mainstream society. Her father believed that doomsday believed that imminent so she spent her entire childhood jarring peaches and doing penance in preparation for the end of the world. Her parents also believed that the government was out to get them, and as a result, Tara failed to have a proper education and healthcare for the first 17 years of her life. This autobiography is a story of self-invention and how Westover was able to leave a life of abuse to become the educated woman she is today.
This is definitely one of my favorite books of all time because it was difficult to read, but at the same time I could not put it down! Fun fact: the family actually did react to the book (she used false names in her writing) and still continues to deny what they did. Even when she writes about the gruesome things they did, she never sounds cruel, which really shows how far she has come. Tara’s story is heartbreaking, but I find it so inspirational because it teaches people to fight for themselves when no one else will. Also, Bill Gates reviewed her book (It’s really nice because he found out that she was a Gates Scholar through reading her book.), so if you want to look at that it is on GoodReads!
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