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Educated
A Memoir
Tara Westover writes an unforgettable memoir about growing up with little formal education. After one of her older brothers taught her to read, Westover taught herself enough to get a scholarship to attend Brigham Young University. As a student, her eyes were opened to just how unconventional her upbringing was. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Westover went on to receive graduate degrees from Cambridge University. Her story is one of determination and perseverance. Her writing is beautiful with vivid imagery that places the reader firmly in her shoes. There is something for everyone to take away from the experience of reading this book.
Author: Tara Westover
Year of Publishing: 2018
Number of Pages: 368
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Reviews
MCampos (verified owner) –
Powerful, beautiful memorie. You will be amaze.
pauljohnsonbend (verified owner) –
A must read for anyone seeking meaning in their journey. Highly recommend
alyssakornbrath (verified owner) –
Very captivating story, well written.
SMohler (verified owner) –
As an educator, this book resonates deeply. Everyone should read this.
garciac113 (verified owner) –
Good book. Well written!
Kyramo (verified owner) –
Well written, detailed, and a good read.
Sarah Kellems (verified owner) –
I could not put this book down. It was deeply engaging, and made me think about so many things.
Crystal Robles (verified owner) –
This was an amazing read! Everyone should take the opportunity to read this book. The life story and the growth you get to read about with each chapter is as if you were growing with the author. Feeling all the emotions and pains imagining the uncertainty of what’s to come next was impossible to put down.
BStiller (verified owner) –
An amazing example of inner determination. Tara shares her life, the good, the bad and the ugly with grace and eloquence. She shares her determination to be her best self encouraging the reader to be better too.
vireogirl (verified owner) –
Such a tough book. So many terrible experiences. Twisted truth. Yet laced with the hope of change.
Life-Long-Learner (verified owner) –
Every educator should read this book!
kathyanng (verified owner) –
Tara’s story is captivated and perfectly written!
nnppnn (verified owner) –
Such a great book! I highly recommend it to all.
millspjo (verified owner) –
The details and recounted stories did not seem real for modern times. Initially I checked the authors age and was surprised she grew up in same era and not so far away. Well written, edited, etc.
Jess_Note (verified owner) –
Powerful book!
cast3219 (verified owner) –
Intriguing story and well written!
dawnmgeoppinger (verified owner) –
Westover’s memoir is powerful, detailing her strict and isolated upbringing to an eye-opening experience in academia. Her narrative unfolds to illustrate Westover’s resilience and the transformative power of education. Her writing is gripping and reflective. Overall, the memoir is compelling and thought-provoking. Highly recommend.
kjohn1385 (verified owner) –
Absolutely phenomenal book. The way she told her story was so real, raw, and heartfelt. One of my favorite books this year.
eweber23 (verified owner) –
Inspiring.
Erin Weber (verified owner) –
Such a great book! Very moving and powerful!
nnunezv (verified owner) –
I couldn’t put it down! While I understand the controversy surrounding the book, this is Tara’s story.
MCalvert123 (verified owner) –
A very moving, powerful story. The author tells her story with care and intention. A great lesson in self-determination. Great read!
[email protected] (verified owner) –
This book was written in a relatable format. Smooth writing makes for easy reading. An authentic story shared in a strong voice.
R. King (verified owner) –
Well written, attention holding memoir. Thank you for offering.
Rachael Parker (verified owner) –
A must read, powerful, captivating, and wonderfully written book.
pargarita (verified owner) –
This is still one of those books that, in our current day of questioning the value of college, goes to show the value and transformative power of education. A fine read.
Kristy Hiers (verified owner) –
Captivating, difficult to read story. It is very well written.
anniestu (verified owner) –
Difficult but powerful!
kallstromc (verified owner) –
A wonderful story of grit. A must read for every educator.
criggins (verified owner) –
An inspiring story of resilience. Disturbing how the family simply buckles to the father’s demands even as he falls deeper into mental illness. I wished the mother had fought harder for the herself and the children. Overall, a story that illustrates the power of formal and informal education.
sebastian (verified owner) –
Tara Westover’s memoir Educated–with Andre Agassi’ memoir Open as a close second–is the best book in the genre I’ve ever read. It’s an inspiring and well-written book that works as a roadmap for anyone facing similar challenges that require courage and determination to achieve self-realization. An excellent read.
brookedjackson (verified owner) –
Absolutely love this book – read parts of it twice. Profound, emotional, and richly complex.
Joyce MARTINEZ (verified owner) –
Such a compelling and sometimes chilling account of a young woman coming to the realization of the indoctrination in which she grew up and struggling to break the unhealthy family ties in order to keep from breaking herself. Fascinating and hopeful story. What a truly amazing woman.
Kylie Anderson (verified owner) –
Amazing memoir! Inspiring and incredible story of triumph
Liz (verified owner) –
Westover’s candor is riveting, drawing the reader into a world so fraught and precarious. It demonstrates hard truths that can be overcome against seemingly great odds.
FFFbooks123 (verified owner) –
The physical and emotional abuse made me want to put it down and forget about it. The manipulation, the abuse she went through left me speechless. While not unique, family issues are still so taboo. Brainwashing your own self into thinking it’s your fault, that it wasn’t that bad or that you imagined it will hit way too close for comfort for a lot of people.
The author’s writing was beautiful and her courage to get an education and stand up to her family was inspiring.
Karen Wirth (verified owner) –
A story of perseverance.
Charli Bise (verified owner) –
Loved this book! The way Westover writes is amazing and captivating
Grace Mogford (verified owner) –
This book is so inspiring and and a true story of resilience, childhood trauma, and the effects of mental illness. This book is a must read!
Angela Hooker (verified owner) –
Wow. A must read for anyone in education, especially rural education. There is so much to unpack about how our isolated kids learn, the impact of family dynamics and how “traditional” education works/doesn’t work for some youth.
Worth the read.
Matt Epstein (verified owner) –
Well documented examples. Good read
Holly Mee-Musillo (verified owner) –
Educated is a fantastic book that makes you think through a very different perspective than maybe you’re used to. I recommended this book to my coworkers and friends who want a book that they can think through while reading.
Jamie Willard (verified owner) –
Best memoir I have read in years. Extremely thoughtful and a beautiful look at how to derive your own meaning from your life.
JHunnicutt0730 (verified owner) –
an amazing, and inspiring memoir
Tram Bui (verified owner) –
Beautiful journey delivering a full range of emotions the author experiences.
mariesimonds (verified owner) –
One of my favorite books of all time. Westover shares her remarkable journey.
Nicole Owens (verified owner) –
This was an excellent read!
candicejb (verified owner) –
wonderful book and an amazing story. thank you for sending this book to me!
Jacqualyn Hardin (verified owner) –
Powerful story
madelinefulkerson (verified owner) –
Such an amazing, well written book!
Alishea Maynes (verified owner) –
This book was beautifully written and truly captivating! A great read for anyone but especially educators!
Paula Thompson (verified owner) –
Very well written! Great book sharing emotional experiences in an honest way.
Amanda Blakely (verified owner) –
Wow this was beautifully written. One of my favorite books ever. Thank you!
lellismba (verified owner) –
Tara Westover’s story is truly gripping and emotional. The way she goes from being raised in a survivalist family, isolated from the world, to earning a PhD from Cambridge is both inspiring and heartbreaking. The book shows how strong Tara is, but it also highlights the pain and trauma she went through to get where she is.
The way Tara tells her story—honestly and without sugarcoating things—shows how difficult it was for her to break away from her family and their beliefs. She makes it clear that her escape wasn’t easy or simple. It’s not just about getting an education; it’s also about finding herself and figuring out who she really is without the influence of her family. Tara’s story is about her own personal strength and independence.
DonnaASmith (verified owner) –
Amazing story of perseverance and determination.
dmtague (verified owner) –
This is by far my favorite memoire I’ve read to date. Tara Westover’s account of her family and home and the dichotomy of her growing self is a very powerful story. This is a story that I imagine, to some degree, anyone who identifies as a first generation college student can connect with.
Rubi Harney (verified owner) –
Gripping recounting of a tough childhood, subjected to a parent with mental illness and an abusive siblings. It’s the story of how somehow, three siblings went on to earn a PhD (though focus is on Tara), and the incredible determination it took to get there.
Tapiad (verified owner) –
Beautiful story~
Cindy Lucht (verified owner) –
Once I started reading this book I could not put it down for long. My husband is bipolar and I related to so many of the situations in the book. I’m passing it on to others as I feel it may enlighten them and help them understand him more.
Zoe Zamora (verified owner) –
Very will written!
Brittani Rodriguez-Olmos (verified owner) –
Beautiful book, great read!
Joy (verified owner) –
Very interesting book. Author overcame all odds against her. Book was somewhat disturbing.
Avara Roberts (verified owner) –
This was a great, fascinating read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
tlslibrary (verified owner) –
A deeply resonant book for educators and students alike.
KSzek (verified owner) –
A deeply captivating story of hope and resilience. . It’s a must read- especially for educators.
Nicole Taylor (verified owner) –
Informational book. Well written.
Cara Davis-Jacobson (verified owner) –
This is an astounding tale of success and transformation! Against all odds, Tara escapes her religious prepper family. Her journey is one you will never forget!
themusicmaster527 (verified owner) –
5/5 ⭐️
When I picked this up I did not expect to find myself reconciling with the person I was before reading Educated and the person I am after reading Educated. Had I picked this book up off the Fiction shelf I would have never questioned it. The astronomical levels of family and religious trauma suffered by Tara and her siblings put me in a state of despondency multiple times, most of those times weren’t even during the more traumatic events. Educated is beautiful, inspiring, informative, and absolutely horrifying in equal measure. Tara Westover’s story is not for the faint of heart (or maybe that’s exactly who it is for) but it has a chance to change your heart.
lscott5 (verified owner) –
This book is amazing. So many emotions run through you as you read it. I was confused, shocked, appalled, proud of the author and her story, of all she’d been through and all she bore and fought for. A true story of perseverance and growth that a person endures while growing up and going out into the world
Sydney Burrell (verified owner) –
I really enjoyed this gentle story. It showed many different perspectives that I’ve never considered before and let me live in someone else’s shoes for a while. My partner was so curious they also read the book and gave us opportunities for discussion.
Heather Gomez (verified owner) –
Captivating from the very beginning
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