Educated: A Memoir

This book is a must to read for everyone. Westover's writing is superb and demonstrates themes of struggles and overcoming said struggles. Before this book, I used to believe that symbolism was a lazy writing method, but the way Westover writes with it is absolutely amazing. Even as you read the last chapter, you still fondly remember all the details from chapter 1.

I LOVED this book! One of those that is hard to put down. It is so deep on so many levels. I highly recommend.

Delivered on time. The quality of the book was good, as described

nice book

Tara Westover's "Educated: A Memoir" is a compelling and at times infuriating account of one woman's remarkable journey from a life of isolation and ignorance to one of education, enlightenment, and self-discovery. This memoir delves deep into the complexities of family, faith, and the pursuit of knowledge, leaving readers with a mix of emotions that range from anger and frustration to admiration. Westover (the author) grew up in rural Idaho with a family that adhered to extreme religious and survivalist beliefs. Her parents' decision to forgo formal education and conventional medical care had profound consequences on Tara's upbringing, and that tends to be a focal point of the story. The book recounts the neglect, abuse, and outright danger she faced growing up, often (or always) at the hands of her own family members. I frequently found myself deeply appalled by the myriad ways in which Tara's family failed her, both emotionally and physically- so it was a bit difficult to read. As Tara strives for self-improvement through education, the book also exposes the challenges she faces when confronting her family's beliefs and her own internalized guilt and doubt. The memoir highlights the inherent tension between Tara's desire for knowledge and her loyalty to her family and upbringing. This internal struggle is a central theme throughout the narrative and adds depth to her story. Again, I found this to be really frustrating because, as the reader, her family's cruelty is blatant and unforgiveable, and I had a hard time sympathizing because they just were the worst. Westover's writing is evocative and brutally honest, which makes it difficult not to feel a deep sense of resentment toward her family, but it's essential to note that "Educated" is not merely a condemnation of her family's choices; it's also a testament to the power of education and the capacity for personal growth and transformation.

It's not a feel good book and you probably won't feel better at the end either! The amazing tale of a little girl and her path/fight to get what she has! Read it !!!DET

A remarkable story and truly inspiring. The book arrived in good condition. Kudos to the seller.

Lets the user look from a different perspective at the conditions they lived through which were much distinct from Tara Westover's in a good way...

I'd had this book sitting on my shelf for a while - it had been recommended in many articles so I had high expectations. The book was first published in 2018, it has 377 pages and 40 chapters. First impression is good as there are some top quality quotes of praise at the start. I hadn't appreciated that so much of the book would be about the author's childhood. Her education at home was very limited and she describes the varying levels of work she had to do to survive. The writing is engaging and the reader is encouraged to care about Tara. The narrative is first person so is very personal - you can't help but feel her experiences with her. Alongside the straightforward narrative. the reader has to look behind the writing as the motives and emotions are a huge part of this story. Tara rarely judges and simply accepts most of her life - it's the reader who is given the space to analyse and has time to stand back to get the full picture. Tara's life is hard to comprehend - she tells us about it sensitivity yet managing to retain a disconnect that appears to be her coping mechanism. She thought that everything was normal and that there were no options. Its inspiring to read about her small moments of realisation when she starts to acknowledge what is happening, accepts them as wrong and starts to consider alternatives. I was surprised there wasn't one big moment of rebellion away from her world but just small movements and tiny mind shifts until one day she found she had gone far enough mentally not to have to go back. This multitude of tiny steps are almost imperceptible until she learns to believe in herself - this creates a wave of emotion for the reader and it can be seen how life changing the process was for Tara. Brilliant account of a life turning towards the world rather than running away from it. This is all well written as a retrospective account and it is as I would normally expect a memoir to be - evenly paced and with a consistent tone. This book seems to do so much more though - at the start the narrative is naïve and basic, as the author grows the phrasing becomes more confident and articulate. This development is cleverly written.