Educated by Tara Westover

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am deeply impressed and incredibly moved.

I pair this work with J.D. Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy." Both books speak to self-reliance and the value of education. Both ask the question "Why did I follow the path not taken by my siblings and peers?" The answer(s) remain unclear. While Vance seems to arrive at the conclusion that he simply pushed harder, Westover credits the assistance of others.

In addition, Westover turns a bright light onto the relationships between men and women outside the usual romantic. She examines her relationship with her father and her brothers, and it seems as though we are all looking just past one another while seeing exactly what we want to see even when all the evidence points to different conclusions.

I found the book powerfully moving, and I'm not easily bent by sentimentality.

P.S. She admits to binging on "Buffy" episodes. I've gotta love that.



View all my reviews