Educated by Tara Westover

Review by Joshua Kim, 10

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The feeling of forgetting about a test is never a pleasant one. Most people have had to endure the stressful experience of sitting down for an exam and realizing that they have no idea what the first question means. The struggle is often a result of limited preparation or a lack of practice. If one test can cause so much stress, one can only imagine the struggle of somebody entering college with no schooling at all.

Tara Westover’s memoir “Educated,” tells the story of a girl who rises from a small house in rural Idaho to a doctorate in history. Raised in a family with 7 siblings, Tara always grew up with influences surrounding her. Her father in particular guided her through much of her early life, teaching her to work in a scrapyard to collect valuable metals. Tara’s father, however, is suffering from a case of extreme paranoia, believing that the government is corrupting its citizens through schooling and modern medicine. As a result, no one in the Westover family was allowed to receive proper schooling, get medical support, or even have birth certificates. Tara’s father was also a devout follower of the Mormon religion and worked hard to maintain a state of “self sufficiency” to prepare for the day of judgement. Years later, Tara begins to question her father’s way of living and looks for an escape through education. After hours of self studying and just barely passing the entrance exam, Tara is accepted to Brigham Young University. Attending college with no prior schooling was a difficult adjustment to make. Tara is overwhelmed by the experience at first, but eventually begins to excel in her studies. She is recommended by her professors to study abroad in Cambridge where she eventually completes her Ph.D.

Tara was able to gain the courage to step out of her comfort zone and pursue a life in education. In her early days, her father crafted her world view, and isolation made it difficult for her to challenge it. By questioning her past life and rejecting the teaching of her father, Tara begins to find her own voice and eventually finds her own self.  Education allowed her to establish an identity rather than conforming to the delusional reality of her father. She realizes that while her parents were deliberately living in their own reality, her own life had been made richer and meaningful through education.

During the pandemic, online schooling has drastically changed the way of learning. While the medium of education may have become different, Tara’s story reminds us that the meaning of education remains the same. When we set out on the route to free thinking, and ultimately become bold enough to confront our true selves, then we can say we are educated.