I love a good memoir as much as I love a good thriller and this one caught my eye. Educated by Tara Westover promises to be a fantastic book and I am so eager to start it.

Here is what you need to know:

Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag.” In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far if there was still a way home.

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty, and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes, and the will to change it.

This calls to mind North of Normal, The Glass Castle, Chanel Bonfire, some of my favorite memoirs from years past. I cannot wait to start it.

I sat on this one for a bit as it took me a little while to decide how to put my thoughts together and write a review for this one. I really struggled with how to write this one.

I read Educated with a group of my Traveling Sisters and for the most part, we all struggled with parts of this book but for this review, I am going to stick to my thoughts.

I mostly struggled with how the book was written and I didn’t feel it was written with compassion and emotion. I didn’t connect with Tara Westover because it felt very one-sided to me and I didn’t feel like we were told the whole story. I felt like she was only telling us the side she wanted us to know. For that reason, I struggled with the credibility of this story.

I really wanted to connect with Tara Westover and understand her journey and be inspired by her achievements but for the most part, it felt forced on me to feel for her instead of being inspired by her achievements. Many people overcome heartbreaking odds and have inspiring stories to tell, Tara Westover’s story just didn’t feel that way for me.

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House and Tara Westover for a copy to read and review.

Educated is a gritty, unflinching look at growing up with a survivalist family isolated from mainstream society. What makes this so intriguing is how this story is told. Tara Westover tells her story about living with a bi-polar father, a submissive mother, a brutally abusive brother, and an outside world that seems too dangerous to live in, among in the mountains of Idaho. She also talks about how smart her father really is and how other siblings were able to teach themselves enough to go to college.

Her story is full of extremes. Her mother and father insisted on storing necessities for the end of the world and teaching their children survival skills, yet they outright refused to have the children learn what was taught in schools. Yet many of the siblings had such a hunger for knowledge that they taught themselves. They snuck behind couches to read old encyclopedias or found books to study late at night once everybody went to bed.

The book reads like a family of dysfunctional geniuses. However, the dysfunction is so great that it threatens the lives of those very same family members. How do you escape those you love the most when they are the very same ones that can kill everything you worked for or even your take your life?

This is an extraordinary true story of a family bent on saving themselves from the brink of disaster, not realizing that they are their own worst danger.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own.

I was very interested in this book from the description but wondered if it would be too difficult emotionally to read for me...there were hard parts to get through but I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished it and I think that is always a sign of a solid story. Most of all, this was a very inspiring story and I think that is what kept me hanging on. We all love a story of overcoming the odds and making the best of what life has handed us. I tend not to read a ton of non-fiction because I often am looking for more of a happy escape book but I am glad I chose this and thank NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity. I would recommend it for those looking for something on the deeper side.

This was a phenomenal read. Truly stranger than fiction. The story of an unbelievable upbringing that was at times; heartbreaking, crushing, hopeful and pure delight from start to finish.

This is an incredible memoir and very heartbreaking. It’s hard to believe that families like this exist outside the system. I felt it was very similar to The Glass Castle, in the sense both authors overcame difficult childhoods and became very successful academically and professionally.

This was phenomenal. As someone who is still trying to ease her way into non-fiction, this was the perfect selection. A compelling, thought-provoking, engaging, and at times a horrifying story. It's a powerful book, at times very difficult to read, but at the same time, I could not put it down because I had to keep reading.

Note: I received this book from the author/publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Don't get me wrong, this is a very interesting and intriguing story and I didn't dislike it. I just wasn't as enamored with the book as a whole as everyone else seems to be. The premise of the book is set forth as such: a young girl is raised in a survivalist family without any formal schooling and goes on to get a PhD from Cambridge. Which is true but it's not the full story. The story twists and turns through Westover's childhood in a truly chaotic and unstable home. Her father has some sort of mental illness that leads to feelings of deep paranoia and feelings of grandeur (she suggests possibly bipolar disorder, others seem to suggest schizophrenia). She is raised in a rather abusive and neglectful home and it's certainly not an easy read at times. Don't be lead to believe that this is a fun uplifting story because it's not. The story also weaves in the family's relationship with Mormonism, which is interesting and also creepy (although, truth be told, I'm kind of biased and find Mormonism kinda weird at times). I appreciate the way the story is told and I enjoy Westover's writing style. Her story is fascinating and like a horrible car wreck- you can't quite look away. But I thought the book ended up being fairly repetitive and there were some parts that were kind of dull to read. Overall, not a bad read but also not one I was blown away by.

Wow! I'm not generally a non fiction reader but enough people raved about this that I had to check it out.
It was so well done. Difficult to read at some points (because of the subject matter, not the writing) but simultaneously impossible to put down.

As a lifelong bibliophile, the idea of NOT learning. Not having an education. It's unfathomable to me. So this was definitely a glimpse into a world that is entirely different from my own. Which is really what I want when choosing a memoir to read.

3.5 stars
I can't help but admire and respect everything Tara Westover has been through in her difficult life. I am so grateful to have received a copy of Educated from NetGalley and Random House so I could join my book - loving friends on the bandwagon for this book. I am there, but sort of on the ledge, one foot on and one foot unsure of where to land.

The book felt repetitive and on the long side; and I know that some things that happened to her happened repeatedly, which is what made her early life so awful, so I should appreciate the many recounts and not be critical. Also, I should judge memoirs differently than the novels I usually read, where one can wish for a certain outcome, a happy ending or some resolution. Here I tried to hold a different mindset; but like in most nonfiction, my mind wanted it to wrap up quicker than it did.

What Tara endured and how she overcame it was incredible, unbelievable, although I do not doubt her account. Some of it was hard to read and some hard to fathom. A psycho brother who wished her dead. A bipolar father who forced the children to work for him under deplorable, dangerous conditions. Difficult to understand how she would keep going back to her family for acceptance and validation, even after successfully turning her life around with an education any scholar would aspire to, and after that family spread vicious lies about her. Even an educated person may need to learn how to permanently say goodbye to people who are bad news. I fear her story is far from over.

All the stars in the Idaho Sky! Tara Westover is so very brave. And her book is hands-down, 5+ stars amazing. This is by far the most riveting memoir I've ever read. I am so fascinated by cult-like religions, as well as homesteaders/survivalists and end-of-the-world preppers - and this quenched every thirst I've ever had for all those things and infinitely beyond. This was the extreme of both of those worlds. I cannot believe this is real life. The epitome of "you can't make this sh*t up," I imagine those words running through Tara's head often.

This is a story of growing up in middle-of-nowhere Idaho with Mormon anti-government parents, who "home-schooled" Tara and her brothers and sisters, while preaching these crazy ideals on these poor kids who just didn't know any better. They believed everything their parents said (who wouldn't believe their own parents?!), and the abuse and neglect she had to essentially endure because of it, was heartbreaking. These kids grew up with no birth certificates, never stepping foot inside a classroom or a doctor's office, zero modern medicine (including for severe burns and brain injury!), living in filth and squalor, and the constant pressure to be of extreme faith and a tireless servant of a God, that required way to much of these poor children. And all under the watchful eyes of a father who takes no less than their utter devotion to that God, no matter what the consequences.

It pains me to see them choose sides throughout - you really do get the sense that these parents love Tara in all the way they know how, and they honestly feel that what they are doing is right and just, but it's just so blatantly wrong. I applaud Tara for trying so very hard - throughout every victory in her life without them, and coming out on the other side, not bitter at all, still feeling love for her family.

I was enthralled by this memoir. There wasn't any second of this book that dragged, or lulled - I literally could not put it down. The writing is so well thought out, every person rich with description and character, and you root for this strong-willed little girl to get out, and make something of her life and triumph over the family who may love her, but believe her to be evil because she just wants to be free. And we know, because of this amazing book, she finally is.

Love. Love. Love!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review and to Tara Westover for sharing her story.

What a inspiration. Anyone who is a scholar, educator, or believes in the education. Will be amazed how this little girl had no education. To get out of the house. Her brother, Tyler told her to self teach herself for the tests. She did it. But, what obstacles at home to get through.

From her religious Mormon faith. Her father believing the government is evil. Didn't believe in medical help when several accidents occurred. Her brother trying to kill her. -Think of Ruby Ridge. She still earned her PHD at Cambridge. I was rooting for her all the way. While I was reading, Educated.

I recommend it highly. As I'm reading. It is playing as a movie through my head. (less)

It is astonishing that Tara Westover even survived her childhood. The fact that she has made remarkable academic achievements is even more astonishing given the abuse she was subjected to and the manner in which her parents raised her.

It's hard to believe that there are actually people in the United States that live their lives the way Westover's survivalist Mormon parents do. The fact that Westover was able to overcome the obstacles placed in front of her, realize what her family had done to her, and not be bitter is admirable. She is able to love her family, understand why they live the way they do, and rise above it anyway.

Westover has a truly amazing story to tell and she told it beautifully.

I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting book to read. It was a good book in the sense she shared her story that was very moving and a story that I am thankful she told. Th author definitely had a difficult childhood and somehow found a way to heal and remove her self from the only life she knew. Powerful memoir as the authors exhibits strength in overcoming her past. I think somewhere inside she still struggles but has found a way to live a new life. Worth reading. Fast read.

Recommended this book to my book club. It was pointed out to me that it is on the New York Times Bestseller List.
The story and background were told so vividly, I felt as though I was right there with her. Initially, I couldn't believe any parents could behave this way. As the story unfolds, I really got to know these 2 people and I came to appreciate why they were the way they were.
The different directions the siblings chose, and how each one got there, could have been better developed. I felt that I knew some of her siblings better than others. But, perhaps that accurately reflects the author's relationships.
Book bears a resemblance to "The Glass Castle".

Wow! Incredible story. What a reminding eye-opener to the way some people live/think in the not distant past. Hallelujah to Ms. Westover for breaking out and rising above her upbringing so beautifully and successfully. This is a must read for anyone who has self-doubt, loses faith in the world or people and inspires us to keep dreaming, keep doing and always believe in better.

Tara Westover, you're a courageous lady to not only write(and re-live) the struggles of your life, but to publish it for the wide world- that takes real guts. My hats off to you because that cannot be easy for you or any other memoir writer. I felt it hard to read your story, often having to take breaks over the last two days to digest the contents, to connect with you was difficult, but I had to ultimately remind myself that this was your story, your truth, and if it provides you with some understanding or acceptance of what happened then I hope this book is only the start of a healing process. One that I know is a long road.

This memoir is so many things. It's horrifying and disturbing and haunting, but it's also moving and unforgettable and so very brave. Tara Westover was raised by dangerous and delusional religious fanatics who refused to let her attend school or access medical care, prepared constantly for the end of the world, and built a home rife with physical and emotional abuse. Despite it all, Westover managed to escape the tyranny of her father and receive a PhD from Cambridge. This book is painful to read, but the story she tells about questioning her own upbringing and finding her own truth is breathtaking. She shows a level of reflection and self-awareness that is remarkable given the trauma of her past, and her present relationships with her family. You may need to read this book with caution, but it's definitely worth it.

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Tara Westover endured abuse all of her life. Extreme manipulation. Her family thrived off of it. At times, Educated was unbearable to read and hard to comprehend that someone out there, is living the way she did. So many times I wanted to jump into this story, and help her, mold her, encourage her to realize her potential, realize that this fight was not hers to battle. I wanted to tell her to walk away and never return.

Family ties and mental health awareness is prevalent in this story and we get a glimpse of how destructive individuals who are unable or unwilling to see their behavior can be. Seeking help, while always the answer, is not always easy and we see that through Tara’s relationships as she builds up the courage, not without resistance and challenge, to venture out from her homeland.

While not an easy book to get through, I highly recommend it and the message it carries with it.

The following quote from the book sums up Educated in my opinion: “Our parents are held down by chains of abuse, manipulation and control...They see change as dangerous and will exile anyone who asks for it. This is a perverted idea of family loyalty...They claim faith, but they worship a God I do not know”. -EDUCATED

Educated, grab a copy and experience this family dysfunction and story of redemption for yourself.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. There are many memoirs out lately on the "I survived my crazy parents" theme, but this one's kinda awesome because it shows a protagonist fighting to learn. Painful at times but you knew that if you picked this up . Good read for a dark stormy day.