Books Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (Author)

"Educated: A Memoir" by Tara Westover is an extraordinary true story of a woman who grew up in a strict, survivalist Mormon family in rural Idaho, isolated from mainstream society and without formal education until the age of 17. Her father, deeply distrustful of the government, forbade his children from attending school or receiving medical care, leading to a difficult and sometimes dangerous upbringing.

Despite these challenges, Tara defied her family’s rigid beliefs and fought for an education, ultimately earning a PhD from Cambridge University. Throughout the memoir, she explores themes of family loyalty, personal identity, and the cost of self-invention. She also narrates the physical and emotional abuse she endured within her family, especially from her older brother, which further complicated her difficult relationship with them.