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what_is_emma_reading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
mackenzienicoleireland's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
_leitmotif_'s review against another edition
4.0
ouf. having grown up in a closed family system, homeschooled and with profound educational neglect, poverty and untreated parental mental illness, this was a very personal read.
really well written, powerful narrative that is all the more impactful because tara is clear that this all happened to her AND it also both happened to her in ways she’s not accurately reflecting and in ways she probably still doesn’t know about or can articulate herself. and that’s one of the outcomes of growing up this way — (isolated, neglected, abused and constantly barraged with parental/family mythology propaganda) — your memory tells you it was both WAY worse than you remember and, not as bad as you thought. and the truth is, it’s both, but/and in ways that are a lifelong process of trying to parse.
this book illustrates clearly that an entire family system (through the people within in it) can come together to be a collective, interdependent abuser. and, like any abusive relationship, make it very difficult to leave. you believe, wholeheartedly, that how you are treated in that relationship is all you deserve. and that any problem, is yours, IS you, and you and it can only be solved through the abusive relationship.
reviews of this book that find them selves frustrated by how hard it was for tara to step fully away from her family (to the pointof nearly losing her life literally ) don’t understand how abuse effects the ability to find a solid center of self to work from and find power/strength, (because your center/self has been defined by your abuser, and no longer belongs to yourself) to leave. your tools to unpick yourself and get free just aren’t there, they’ve been replaced by what your abuser has told you you are. to get free, you have to rebuild enough of who you actually are and that’s a herculean task from the inside, especially as a child/young adult.
phew. brought up a lot for me. ultimately really glad to be a witness as a reader, and to feel witnessed.
really well written, powerful narrative that is all the more impactful because tara is clear that this all happened to her AND it also both happened to her in ways she’s not accurately reflecting and in ways she probably still doesn’t know about or can articulate herself. and that’s one of the outcomes of growing up this way — (isolated, neglected, abused and constantly barraged with parental/family mythology propaganda) — your memory tells you it was both WAY worse than you remember and, not as bad as you thought. and the truth is, it’s both, but/and in ways that are a lifelong process of trying to parse.
this book illustrates clearly that an entire family system (through the people within in it) can come together to be a collective, interdependent abuser. and, like any abusive relationship, make it very difficult to leave. you believe, wholeheartedly, that how you are treated in that relationship is all you deserve. and that any problem, is yours, IS you, and you and it can only be solved through the abusive relationship.
reviews of this book that find them selves frustrated by how hard it was for tara to step fully away from her family (to the point
phew. brought up a lot for me. ultimately really glad to be a witness as a reader, and to feel witnessed.
kyxshi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
mathman329's review against another edition
5.0
2024 Book Review - Book No. 6: “Educated” written by Tara Westover
Date started: 1/19/24
Date finished: 2/10/24
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like tales of family dysfunction, overcoming obstacles, and truth that’s stranger than fiction)
Spoiler free review: After finally reading this memoir, I now recognize it’s an absolute crime to have let this sit on my TBR pile for so long. Much of what occurs early on in the book left me wondering how anyone could let these things happen and just how much truth and reality there was behind the words. By the end, I almost felt ashamed for just being another person to dismiss Westover’s words.
What’s important to note is this is a memoir and in Westover’s extremist Mormon family, there’s many other members whose voices are shared through the author’s lens. With this considered, I decided to dive into some research online about the family. Oddly (or probably not) enough, the first article I found seemed to put the family in a much different light than Westover’s. Then I noticed the site that conducted the interview was an outlet owned by the Mormon church, the same religion Westover doesn’t directly attack through her book but also doesn’t look upon quite so fondly. Where the truths lie in some instances most likely is somewhere in the between, but a few things are clear.
First, the Westover family’s isolation led to a sheltered existence, best exemplified by Tara’s ignorance of the Holocaust until going to college at age 17. And then there’s the accounts of abuse that call into question the family’s negligence towards some of their children. It would be difficult to imagine an adult child insinuating their family would allow such things to happen without at least some truth to the events, but the fact that even some of her more trusted siblings have somewhat recanted some of these claims once again muddies the waters.
Regardless, the memoir itself makes for a compelling read. Given more time to read this past month, I would have finished this sooner. An easy 5 star read here that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Date started: 1/19/24
Date finished: 2/10/24
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like tales of family dysfunction, overcoming obstacles, and truth that’s stranger than fiction)
Spoiler free review: After finally reading this memoir, I now recognize it’s an absolute crime to have let this sit on my TBR pile for so long. Much of what occurs early on in the book left me wondering how anyone could let these things happen and just how much truth and reality there was behind the words. By the end, I almost felt ashamed for just being another person to dismiss Westover’s words.
What’s important to note is this is a memoir and in Westover’s extremist Mormon family, there’s many other members whose voices are shared through the author’s lens. With this considered, I decided to dive into some research online about the family. Oddly (or probably not) enough, the first article I found seemed to put the family in a much different light than Westover’s. Then I noticed the site that conducted the interview was an outlet owned by the Mormon church, the same religion Westover doesn’t directly attack through her book but also doesn’t look upon quite so fondly. Where the truths lie in some instances most likely is somewhere in the between, but a few things are clear.
First, the Westover family’s isolation led to a sheltered existence, best exemplified by Tara’s ignorance of the Holocaust until going to college at age 17. And then there’s the accounts of abuse that call into question the family’s negligence towards some of their children. It would be difficult to imagine an adult child insinuating their family would allow such things to happen without at least some truth to the events, but the fact that even some of her more trusted siblings have somewhat recanted some of these claims once again muddies the waters.
Regardless, the memoir itself makes for a compelling read. Given more time to read this past month, I would have finished this sooner. An easy 5 star read here that shouldn’t be overlooked.
jenna_renna_wren's review against another edition
5.0
Westover’s vivid imagery constructs an impactful portrait of abuse and female objectification through religious extremism. And, most importantly, it outlines the significance of education in shaping an unshakable sense of self, despite challenges of the past and uncertainties of the future. Her detailed and emotive writing style creates an intimate portrayal of her life, from childhood to present. This cultivates a sense of relatability, even with the eccentricity of her family ties, as well as a stirring resolve that intensifies her words, ultimately establishing a lasting impact.
tashanslone's review against another edition
5.0
“Whomever you become, whatever you make yourself into, that is who you always were.”
― Tara Westover, Educated
This book is powerful. It shines on and evaluates in depth the culture that berates us today. How mental illness can persuade us to perceive the world through different lenses. Also, it goes into depth about the influences our family has on our perception. I took many similarities from this book, albeit more subdued. It’s astonishing to me that we still live in a society that this still happening.
― Tara Westover, Educated
This book is powerful. It shines on and evaluates in depth the culture that berates us today. How mental illness can persuade us to perceive the world through different lenses. Also, it goes into depth about the influences our family has on our perception. I took many similarities from this book, albeit more subdued. It’s astonishing to me that we still live in a society that this still happening.