Books Educated by Tara Westover

"Educated" by Tara Westover is a powerful memoir recounting the author’s journey from growing up in a strict, survivalist Mormon family in rural Idaho to earning a PhD from Cambridge University. Tara was born into a family that shunned public education, medicine, and the government, resulting in her never attending school until she was 17.

Key themes and story elements include:

• Tara’s struggle to break free from her isolated, controlling upbringing and the abusive relationships within her family.
• Her self-education journey fueled by curiosity and determination, despite lacking formal schooling.
• The pain and complexity of severing ties with family members who do not accept her new life and beliefs.
• Exploration of identity, memory, and the cost of self-invention.
• The transformative power of education not just academically but as a means of emotional and intellectual liberation.