Educated by Tara Westover is the type of memoir that will leave readers not only talking about it, but making connections between Westover’s journey from an isolated, survivalist home in the mountains of Idaho to gaining a PhD at Cambridge University with their own lives as well.
This book, written in 2018, has gained immense popularity as it reflects the heart of a person who has experienced life’s past in a truly remarkable manner and emphasizes the importance of education, resilience, self-worth, and the veneration, hard process of breaking out of the womb, the final farewell to your previous home, and phase bridge.
In this Educated book review, I explore the things I learned from Westover’s inspirational true story, including the depth of emotion in her writing and the impact of this book on both readers and society.
Summary of Educated by Tara Westover
Educated is Westover’s memoir detailing her upbringing in a rigid, survivalist Mormon family. Specifically, given that her father weaned her onto the sushi of distrust in government institutions, public schools, and hospitals.
Consequently, Westover had never set foot in a classroom, nor had ever acquired one. Rather, she grew up in her father’s junkyard, where she was subjected to high drama physical hazards, and in her mother’s herbs and natural medicine practice, unlicensed and only available to the impoverished townspeople.
Due to her fathers paranoia of governments interfering with his lifestyle – she grew up in an environment lacking in love, promoting false information and clinging to whatever twisted version of Religion he believed in.
Although Westover had little formal education, she had an unquenchable desire to learn. Inspired by an elder brother who had made it out and done well-instead of taking a crash course to prepare for the ACT, which is typically necessary, she took it in secret and prepared on her own.
Despite all the odds — getting accepted to an actual school — she enrolled in Brigham Young University (BYU) and entered an academic environment so different, it was almost alien. A suddenly jarring transition—her new friends were not only learning about the Holocaust but also the Civil Rights Movement, events that left her feeling lost and unsupported.
Westover studied hard and worked very hard to succeed. Her top intelligence and relentless work was rewarded with a number of prestigious scholarships that opened the doors of Cambridge University and Harvard for her.
It also treats the emotional and psychological price of leaving her family’s strict belief system, followed in the form of her memoir. In college, she experienced greater opposition from her parents, and some siblings, who saw her pursuit of higher education not just as wrong, but as a rejection of their way of life.
It put her in a position where she had to make a painful choice—selection between clan loyalty or her practice development.
Analysis and Review
Far from being a memoir about schooling, Westover’s Educated is powerful, thoughtful meditation on how education can be an avenue for, ultimately, one essential kind of freedom. The author uses the book to demonstrate how knowledge is no longer about just gathering facts, it is about gaining a deeper understanding of how to think critically, challenge entrenched beliefs, and create a unique identity.
If there is anything that stands out in Educated, it is how Westover tells her story. It is lyrical and gripping, with unforgettable descriptions of her childhood — the pain, the success, the overload but she takes you with her.
Her memoir does not shy away from the violent intensity of those episodes with so many family members, all her attempts to resolve a childhood horrifically evaporating in the ’80s, and then culling family members from her life. It is bittersweet and yet uplifting for these reasons.
The memoir is a true inspiration but also poses difficult family loyalty questions and one where you must sacrifice yourself to grow as an individual. Readers from all backgrounds can relate to Westover’s struggle between her love of family and the desire to break free from the constraints of their – that ability to speak through the fear, to confront and claim the life-and the words-so many victims of any kind of abuse clamour for and deserve, gives Educated one of the most poignant narratives.
Themes in Educated
The Power of Education : One of the recurring themes of the book is that of using education as a means of access to new opportunities and emancipation from oneself. Westover exemplifies the profound transformative power of learning: her turn-around from an uneducated girl to a Cambridge and Harvard scholar is remarkable.
Family and Betrayal : The push and pull of familial bonds versus autonomy The rejection of her parents weighs on Westover as she clonflicts whether it was worth it to go against the tenets of their upbringing.
Resilience and Self-Discovery : Westover faces incredible hardship, including self-doubt, but she never gives up. A story of human will and human achievement.
Mental and Emotional Abuse : The memoir shows the impact of trying to survive in a home, which is full of chaos, violence and demeaning remarks. Over time, the reality of emotional manipulation and gas lighting reveal a lifetime of pain and trauma for Westover.
The Search for Identity : As Westover goes back and forth from her past to her present, she wrestles with the life she has created for herself and one she has left behind. This story arc unwinds her transformation from dutiful daughter with a religious lineage to self-sufficiency through scholarship.
Critical Reception and Impact
Educated has been hailed by critics, scholars and readers alike since its release. The book was a finalist for multiple literary prizes, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was selected as a best book of the year by such publishers as The New York Times, Time Magazine and The Washington Post.
A large portion of readers praise Westover’s candor and courage in opening up in a very personal narrative. The memoir struck a nerve with a large number of readers, especially anyone from a contingent household, has endured an abusive marriage or even had to reinvent his or her own identify via training.
This has led to debates over the relevance of education, the impact of radical beliefs, and the toll of change.
Yet as some critics have noted Educated is also a very heavy read, emotionally very hard to digest as it graphically depicts abuse and trauma. Others have criticized some particulars, as Westover is the first to remind you that memory is not perfect. No matter how the analysts see it, the book itself stays an establishment in the universe of present day journal.
Conclusion
Educated by Tara Westover: An explosive memoir that illustrates the impact of education. This is one hell of a story about survival, finding yourself, and getting out of what boxes you have been placed inside. This memoir is a must-read for businessmen looking for some inspiration or a thought-provoking exploration of the connection between education and identity.
If any of you are still wondering what is Educated about, well, it not just another success story, rather it is memoir of an individual who struggles for knowledge no matter what the circumstances are.
Educated closely follows the journey of Westover growing up as uneducated a child in a household, who would defy all odds to become a renowned scholar, a story that epitomizes the power of the human spirit and a journey that makes this book nonpareil — a most unputdownable read.
This book is both a tribute to learning and courage to begin again and and find the new you, which is really one of the most important memoirs of this century.
