Review: Educated

Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Educated by Tara Westover is an amazing read, which is why I couldn’t agree more with what Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire, said. “The book made me cringe, cry out, cover my eyes, shake with anger, beam with pride, and appreciate the trials that led to my own education.”
This remarkable memoir is about Tara’s experiences growing up in an isolated family in the mountains of Idaho. Her father had extreme ideologies about his faith that caused him to distrust medical and government establishments, so his children never had the opportunity to receive an education or medical assistance. When Tara’s older brother decided that he wanted to go to college, he encouraged Tara to do the same thing.
After she worked up her courage and told her parents that she wanted to pursue college, her father tried to manipulate her into not going and so she endured a new set of struggles. She persisted, and her decision drove her to teach herself enough mathematics, grammar, science, and history to take the ACT. She passed, was admitted to Brigham Young University, and her education and transformation began. She later traveled to England, where she attended Cambridge University and studied under a professor who saw and valued her potential.
Tara endured many hardships but braved through them all. This inspirational memoir is a must read. I also recommend The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Entering into a world that we are not a part of can help us gain a better understanding of another culture or ethnic group, or as in Tara’s case, a religious group. These books can teach us not only to become more compassionate of others but also that no matter where you are from, you can achieve anything.




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