Summary
Tara Westover's memoir, "Educated," is a powerful account of a young woman's journey from a fundamentalist upbringing in rural Idaho to the hallowed halls of Cambridge University. Tara's childhood was shaped by her survivalist father, who distrusted the government, public education, and modern medicine. She and her siblings were homeschooled, or rather, unschoolled, learning only what they could teach themselves after their work in the family junkyard was done. Her mother, a skilled herbalist and midwife, followed her husband's beliefs, even when they led to dangerous situations.
The family's life was punctuated by accidents and injuries, treated at home with herbs and homeopathic remedies. Tara's brother Shawn, prone to violent rages, exerted a controlling and abusive influence over her life. Despite the chaos and trauma, Tara developed a thirst for knowledge. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to take the ACT, achieving a score that opened the door to Brigham Young University. This marked her first foray into formal education and a gradual separation from her family's beliefs.
At BYU, Tara encountered a world vastly different from her own. She grappled with her ignorance of history, politics, and social issues, and with the conflicting loyalties to her family and her newfound education. A study abroad program at Cambridge University proved transformative, exposing Tara to new ideas and perspectives. She excelled academically, earning a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and eventually pursuing a PhD in history. However, her journey was fraught with emotional and psychological challenges. She struggled with panic attacks, night terrors, and the trauma of Shawn's abuse.
As Tara's education progressed, the divide between her and her family deepened. Her parents, increasingly entrenched in their fundamentalist beliefs, viewed her intellectual growth with suspicion and hostility. They accused her of being possessed by the devil, and her sister Audrey joined them in denouncing her. Tara's attempts to reconcile with her family were met with ultimatums: accept their reality or be ostracized. In the end, Tara made the agonizing decision to cut ties with her parents and some of her siblings.
Tara's memoir is not just a story of intellectual transformation; it's a profound exploration of family, memory, and the search for self. It raises complex questions about loyalty, forgiveness, and the price of personal growth. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of education to shape identity.