Weekend Writing: Reviewing Tara Westover's "Educated"


"I don't think education is so much about making a living. It's about making a person." - Tara Westover, "Educated" 

I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading Tara Westover's 2018 memoir, Educated. I don't typically read memoirs. They're not my genre of choice, but I recently read Educated as part of a book club. Let me tell you...I was pleasantly shocked by how much this book stunned me, surprised me, and moved me all at the same time. It's so much more than a book about a young woman asking to receive an education. It's a coming-of-age story you don't want to miss.

Tara Westover's "Educated." 
You have probably heard of Westover's book by now. I'm not the first person to review the book and I certainly won't be the last. The memoir was selected as one of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of 2018. That's when you know you have a good book.

Westover was born sometime in September 1986. Her parents don't remember the exact date of her birth and she has no birth certificate to even prove her existence. She grew up on a remote mountain in Idaho and is the seventh child of Mormon survivalist parents who choose to remove themselves from society in fear of the government "controlling" their lives. According to them, the government was always about to invade upon them.

Westover's mother worked as a midwife--a "career" forced upon her by her husband. She also was an herbal healer, believing every illness could be treated by herbs. Westover's father, who claimed prophetic powers, refused to visit a doctor or a hospital. If it can't be treated by God's herbs, then it can't be treated at all. In the meantime, he owned a scrap yard, where his children labored tirelessly without any protective equipment. I'm sure if the government knew what was going on at that Idaho farm, they would have taken the children away from this "hostile" environment. In the memoir, Westover recounts hideous accidents that it's a wonder she lived to even tell her tale.

Yes, her parents (mostly her father) mistrusted mainstream "anything": medicine, culture, and public education. Eventually, Westover became determined to leave home and receive a formal education at Brigham Young University. This decision changed her life and led to a deep, unforgiving wedge between her new world and her parents' world she left behind.

Westover stepped foot into an actual classroom for the first time as a 17-year-old girl. She's shocked by the habits of her classmates, but she's even more disappointed that she's not as cultured as everyone else. For example, she never heard of the Holocaust until confronted with the term in a history class. She also thought Europe was a country, not a continent. Upon discovering this cultural divide, Westover becomes determined to rise above her upbringing. Her professors notice her talent and voracious hunger to learn. Soon enough, Westover finds herself visiting Cambridge University on a fellowship, where she continues to surprise everyone, even herself.

Tara Westover (photo/The New York Times)
Eventually, Westover goes to Harvard University and then receives a Ph.D. in history from Cambridge University. At this point, she's still tangled by her feelings of loyalty, guilt, shame, and even love for the family she left behind. She knows she had to pursue her interests for herself, but no one except a close brother of hers understands her decision. She feels alone, but she knows she can never return to her home in quite the same way. She can never be a part of that family again. This disclosure takes a toll on her, but she accepts it.

Westover's memoir is a complete look at her childhood, teenage years, and her young adult years--where she is now. She examines her childhood with unsparing clarity, curiosity, and love. Yes, despite her harsh upbringing, she still loves her family. She may not have a connection with them anymore and she may not have followed the same path in life, but she still loves her mother and father. She just doesn't love that lifestyle she was forced to grow up in.

The book concludes with a final statement: "The decisions I made after that moment were not the ones she (her old self) would have made. They were the choices of a changed person, a new self. You could call this selfhood many things. Transformation. Metamorphosis. Falsity. Betrayal. I call it an education." 

Westover was saved by education, and that's an inspirational topic to read about. Her memoir is a story you need to read. So, go and read it. It will probably remind you of the importance of education. Remember: Not everyone is so lucky to go to school. Tara Westover wasn't that lucky until she made the choice.

What brave decisions can you make in your life?

-KJL-


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