Book Review: Educated

For students in college, education has always been a factor in our lives. It is apparent to us everywhere we look. Education is why we are in college, it is what brought us here and for some, it is what we will continue to pursue even after graduation.

For so many of us, education was always there. For Tara Westover, it was not like that. Raised by Mormon fundamentalists in rural Idaho, Westover lacked any sort of formal education. Her parents taught her to read and write but little more than that. Against odds stacked impossibly high against her, Westover fought for her education—and her future—by going to college and receiving her education. Today, she holds a doctorate in history.

Westover’s journey is told in “Educated,” her debut work. It has been on the New York Times bestseller list since it was published in February 2018. From her earliest memory to getting her degrees, this is a great memoir for fans of the genre or those looking to get into nonfiction.

“Educated” is too compelling to be put down. Despite being as fascinating as it is heart-wrenching, Westover’s beautiful writing shines through just as much as the story itself. Her ability to recount painful moments from her childhood with unflinching, articulated prose speaks to her talent and dedication to telling the truth.

The truth is important to this book, and Westover does not shy away from it. The good is present along with the bad, and her recounting of her own flaws shows how important honesty was in telling her story.

This raw, visceral account of a girl’s struggle to take control of her life and identity through education is an emotional experience for the reader. It feels as though her audience is sharing in her pain, her triumphs and her struggles. From page one to the end of the book, readers find themselves championing Westover’s cause and cheering her on.

“Educated” is one of the first memoirs I have ever read, and it has made me excited to read more. As someone who rarely read nonfiction until this year, it is a genre I am surprised to say I enjoy. I always thought of memoirs as biographies, and I never liked reading those. But as I have learned, a memoir focuses on the subject’s feelings, emotions and experiences during a certain time in their life, whereas biographies and autobiographies are more focused on presenting a chronological series of events.

To those who are thinking about reading this book, I could not recommend it enough. It is touching, heartbreaking and triumphant all at once. For an open look into someone else’s life, Westover’s account lays her childhood and early adulthood bare.

Even for those who are like I was—thoroughly uninterested in nonfiction and the lives of other people—give this a try. “Educated” is not slow and bogged down by gratuitous descriptions of mundane things. It is a well-written record of life you would be remiss not to read.

Paige Holmes is a junior journalism major from Topeka, KS. Reading is her favorite thing to do, because it teaches one how to think, imagine and live. Paige believes there is no better way to learn something or be entertained than by reading a book. Her favorite genre of books is fantasy/thriller and her favorite book is ‘Opening Moves’ by Steven James.