Review: Educated

Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Educated is the memoir of Dr. Tara Westover, the daughter of fundamentalist survivalist Mormon parents from Clifton, Idaho. Westover grew up as a bit of a tomboy, in a house full of brothers and a sister. Her father ran his own scrapyard business and did some construction work on the side. The Westover children were homeschooled but spent most of their time helping their father in the scrapyard. According to the author, "homeschooled" is a very loose term, which meant that the family had a few textbooks and little to no formal instruction. What they did learn came from their father's survivalist preaching, learning to prepare for the end days or a time that may come when the government would invade their property Ruby Ridge style. Guns and gas were buried throughout their property and canned goods lined shelves for a future moment when the world will be pitched into chaos. Westover would also learn about life skills from her mother who trained to be a midwife and healer, specializing in essential oils, tinctures, and salves. This was the path that the author was destined for, according to her parents and family. But Tara Westover was drawn to another world. She longed to learn and spread her wings. She was constantly pulled back by her family, afraid of disappointing them or succumbing to the depths of hell that another life would lead her to.

A couple of Westover's brothers broke the cycle attending college at BYU. One, in particular, encouraged the author to study for the ACT test and apply to the university as well, despite having no formal education and knowing very little. This would alter her destiny, as well had her familial relationships in ways she could not conceive of. She was thrown into a constant cycle of psychological and physical abuse that led to physiological and sociological effects on her life. This book is not just about how the author learned how to formally educate herself, but about expanding her worldview and educating herself about the cycle of abuse in a world that is closed off from mainstream society. Her actions did not come without its own consequences, a lesson she constantly struggled with. Ultimately, for Westover, the rewards of an education outweighed the consequences to her family life. Tara Westover obtained a formal education and at the same time, found her own identity through a personal education in life.

There are some horrific experiences that Westover details in this book. She admits, in notes scattered throughout the book and in references to communications with her siblings that her memory may not be 100% accurate. Who really remembers the details of their life? She draws on her own diaries and correspondence with family to build a picture of dysfunction within her family. For most people, perception is reality and leads to differences in memories of events for multiple people. So the question begs to be asked, how accurate is Westover's account in Educated? This is Westover's recollection and therefore her reality. This book is the story of the author's trauma and the process of healing from it in the best way she knew how.

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