Educated by Tara Westover: A Book Review

Back To School Season

Ahh...the air is finally cooling down, the leaves are starting to change to hues of reds and orange, and the shops are filling with school supplies. That must mean it's back to school season. One some love, while others dread.

I don't know about you, but I loved school growing up. I couldn't wait to get back to learn the newest thing. Math and science were my specialty. Shockingly, English not so much.

But with the new school year starting I figured I would pick up a book that looked as if I would learn a thing or two by reading it. While walking the aisles of the thrift store, Educated seemed like the perfect book to fit the mood.

I had seen this book around knowing it had been popular a few years back, but at the time not picking it up. So without thought, I grabbed it off the shelf and took it home knowing absolutely nothing about it. Until now.

Overview of Educated

Educated, is a memoir following Tara Westover with her story starting from a young age until the most recent events. Growing up the youngest in a large Mormon family of seven kids, and two parents, she writes about how she and her siblings were not allowed to go to school, her father conspiring against the government or anyone else who may not listen to him. You see the lessons Tara and her siblings learn along the way and decide what is or isn't true.

The Cons of Educated

· Sad

Overall, this novel has an overarching feeling of sadness. Sadness for all parties involved. Mental health isn't a topic that was brought up until the last several years and you can see each and every family member has been affected, some more seriously than others. This is a tough issue to write about let alone read.

· Time Jumps

As Tara gets older there are some time jumps that eliminate storylines of her siblings that seemed important. I understand she was not living with them at the time so memories might be fuzzy as well as topics might not have gone passed the point of where she left them, but it would be nice to know what had come of certain instances.

· Facts

With this being a memoir, some facts might not be true. This is stated at the back of the book as some of the memories had faded from both her and her family members. I did look up some information after reading this book and from what I can tell, there are some items that don't seem to line up.

The Pros of Educated

· Writing

The writing is fabulous and keeps you hooked the entire way through. For someone who didn't go to school, Tara does a fantastic job telling her story. Such an easy that kept me hooked the entire time.

· Hope

Throughout reading the novel, there is a glimmer of hope for all parties involved. Will they get help? Will they succeed in their journey's? Or will they fall back into the nonsense that has been their lives? You see who really wants to learn the ways of live versus who wants to be left behind.

· Mental Health

Mental Health is such a huge topic of this book even if it doesn't come out to directly say it. You see symptoms of PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Psychopathic tendencies, and so much more. You can see the affects of how one is raised in a poor situation can really affect someone moving forward.

Overall Review Summary

This book was filled with so much emotion, descriptive scenes, and hope for those going through the same experiences. I don't have much more to say since this was a memoir. I know most people don't rate memoirs but I'm definitely going to give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

I did see Tara's mother has since gone on to write her own story called, Educate, about how Tara and her siblings were raised. I have yet to check it out but hope to one day. I have also read a few articles about how not everything may be true in Tara's memoir, but I know there are always truths to every story, two peoples truths plus the real truth.

Tell me in the comments below the last memoir you read. If you are wanting 5-star read, I highly suggest checking out my reviews for AGGGTM, Once There Were Wolves, or Where the Crawdads Sing.