Educated: An Overview

Explore excerpts from Tara Westover's memoir, Educated, which chronicles her extraordinary journey from an isolated upbringing on a mountain in Idaho to earning a PhD from Cambridge University. Growing up in a survivalist family, Westover details a life largely cut off from mainstream society, marked by her father's distrust of the government and the medical establishment, strict religious beliefs, and lack of formal education. The memoir delves into harrowing family dynamics, including dangerous work environments, severe injuries, and complex relationships, particularly with her brothers.

Driven by a quiet pursuit of knowledge, encouraged by a brother, Westover eventually leaves home to attend university. Her introduction to academic subjects like history, literature, and politics reveals vast gaps in her understanding of the world, including major historical events like the Holocaust. The process of learning and gaining a broader perspective creates tension with her family and challenges the beliefs she was raised with.

The memoir also grapples with the unreliable nature of memory and conflicting versions of events within the family. Westover's writing process itself becomes an exploration of these discrepancies, seeking to understand how different people can remember the same event so differently. Ultimately, Educated is a powerful account of transformation, grappling with loyalty, identity, and the redemptive power of education.

Reference

Westover, T. (2018). Educated: A memoir. Random House.