Tara Westover’s memoir Educated won, or was short-listed for just about every award and honor on the planet, but that’s not why I read it. I did so because two friends of mine, who’ve known me for years and are all well acquainted with my reading tastes highly recommended it to me. I’m happy to report they were right. Not only did I enjoy Educated, it easily made my year-end Favorite Nonfiction List.
Since many of you have read Educated or are familiar with Westover’s life story I’ll try not to rehash too much. (I’ll probably do so anyway since it’s such an amazing story.) Growing up in rural Idaho and attending the LDS (Mormon) church, Westover and her family were dominated by her extreme anti-government religious zealot father like it was his own personal religious sect. Because he saw human institutions as evil, corrupt and on the verge of collapse he forbid Westover and the rest of her family from seeking medical care, attending school, possessing a driver’s license, having insurance or taking part in any meaningful social activities outside her immediate family.
After an older brother told her BYU accepted home-schooled students, she made it her goal to do well enough on her college placement exam to attend the Utah-based university even though she’d never set foot in a classroom in her life. Westover tested well, got it and after an understandably rough start flourished, growing leaps and bounds intellectually and socially. Encouraged and guided by mentors as wise as they were kind, her hard work and perseverance paid off, earning her admission to both Harvard and Cambridge.
I’m a huge fan of memoirs by women who’ve left oppressive religious communities as well as those by people who successfully overcame poverty or extreme hardship. No wonder I loved this book because on top of that, it’s wonderfully written. Trust me, it’s worthy of all those awards and honors.
I loved this book too! I couldn’t believe what some of her family members went through. I looked them up, and they do run an oils company that I’d never heard of (i. e. it wasn’t DoTerra or Young Living). Although there was a lot of verbiage about the familyness of the company, there were no photos, which I think there would normally be.
Does it count as leaving an oppressive religious community if it’s just your family? They weren’t at all typical Mormons (as can be seen by the atmosphere at BYU); her dad was a lunatic and used anything he had as ammunition.
LikeLike
Good point. I considered her dad to be a “sect of one” and not representative of LDS. He probably also suffered from mental illness. In her case her family was a cult.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really do need to read this one.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts
LikeLike
You are most welcome! Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, this was such an interesting book on many levels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was a fascinating read and an inspiring one. I was interested in how she continued to struggle with her family relationships even after leaving home.
LikeLike
I found that interesting as well. By the end of the memoir the two of them existed in different worlds.
LikeLike
Pingback: 2019 In Review: My Favorite Nonfiction | Maphead's Book Blog
Pingback: Immigrant Stories: Undocumented by Dan-el Padilla Peralta | Maphead's Book Blog
Pingback: About Time I Read It: The Arrogant Years by Lucette Lagnado | Maphead's Book Blog
Pingback: About Time I Read It: My Accidental Jihad by Krista Bremer | Maphead's Book Blog
Pingback: Nonfiction November Week 4: Stranger than Fiction | Maphead's Book Blog