Educated

An amazing, incredible story.  This was a book I was going to quickly read through because I kept hearing about it.  But was it really something I wanted to read?  I could not put this book down.  It is still frustrating to me that Tara Westover was so tied into her family that she could not pull away even when it was detrimental to her well being.

Looking in form the outside and reading what Tara writes, it is easy to say leave, don't go back, what are you thinking?!?!   But, I guess being on the inside, growing up with a crazy, abusive family, without the benefit of seeing other examples of a better family life, you think this is how you have to live.  Even though later on Westover does see how she is being mistreated, it takes her so long to really make a final separation with her family.

What an incredible family story she tells, of living secluded from other families and even most of her won extended relatives.  Her father always preparing for the end of the world.  Working dangerous jobs and putting his own children in harms way with the tasks he expected them to do.  Their mother not challenging the father and learning natural medicinal remedies to heal her children and her husband when they were extremely injured.  Using her healing skills to earn some money to help the family.   But they were all living in incredible poverty and deplorable conditions.

This is a story of how inherent intelligence can help you escape your surroundings.  With very little education Tara and a few of her brothers were able to study to pass a high school equivalency test and get accepted to good colleges.  they were able to get assistance from teachers who wanted to help them and they were able to escape their turbulent childhoods.  It is a frustrating, but at the same time, heartwarming story of success.