Tara Westover’s Educated is a deeply moving and remarkable memoir that recounts her extraordinary journey from a childhood steeped in isolation, survivalism, and radicalism, to becoming a scholar with a PhD from the University of Cambridge.
Growing up in rural Idaho, Tara was raised by survivalist parents who believed the government and education system were part of a conspiracy. She was never enrolled in school, and her health was neglected without access to medical care. Tara’s early years were consumed by the ideology of her father, who prepared for the end of the world, and the abusive behavior of her older brother. Her life was confined to a world where education and modern knowledge were viewed with distrust and disdain.
At sixteen, desperate to escape her tumultuous home life, Tara left and embarked on a path that led her to seek an education. Despite the immense obstacles of never having been formally taught, she taught herself enough to pass the GED and later attended Brigham Young University, where she was exposed to ideas and ways of thinking that fundamentally challenged everything she had known. Her intellectual transformation would eventually lead her to Cambridge, but her journey was fraught with tension, alienation, and the difficulty of reconciling her past with her newfound identity.
Educated is not only a story of self-discovery and resilience but also a poignant exploration of the power of education and the personal and emotional cost of breaking free from one’s upbringing. Tara Westover’s memoir is a testament to the importance of questioning and reinventing one's narrative, and it serves as a powerful reminder that it is never too late to change the course of one's life.