Educated is a memoir by Tara Westover that was first published in early 2018. I believe this is an important book. More important than nearly all the books I have read throughout my life, which I believe cements the emphasis I am placing on it. It is true I read mainly fiction, and I believe fiction can be extremely important. It can show us things that cannot happen in order to show us with a certain level of clarity what it is to be human. It can warn us by showing an exaggerated future we should aim to avoid. Fiction can do a lot of important things that nonfiction cannot, and it can do things similarly but with a bit more fun. However, the world is a much more interesting place than we give it credit. Books like Educated remind us of this. It also reminds us that some true stories can be even more unbelievable than fiction.

Tara Westover gives us a brief history of her life growing up in Idaho with a father who believed, among many unconventional things, that the school system was a means to indoctrinate young minds and turn them away from God. There are many things Tara’s father believes in and many things he doesn’t. Modern medicine is one he does not believe in. Unfortunately, safety isn’t one either. The best thing her father did for her (in my opinion) was to let Tara make her own decision about going to college. She does not attend any formal educational institution prior to college, and her journey from junkyard rat to Cambridge scholar is inspirational, infuriating, and unimaginably filled with hope.

So what makes this book so important? Well, for one, I think it emphasizes many things about our lives and those we choose to keep by our side. It shows the importance of education as well as the hardships we face. Especially the hardships of breaking away from family to have a happier, healthier life. One aspect I applaud Tara for is her ability to tell her story without a bias we would expect of her. She has every right to be angry with her father and others, but that anger is tempered by love for them. We, as a lucky audience, get a wholesome picture because of this.

It is hard to believe people like Tara’s father exist in today’s society. Then again, I believe we all know of someone who may have similarly odd insinuations. What I found infuriating at times were her father’s outright neglect and refusal to do what was best for his family. He actively puts them in danger and anything outside of his control, or any accident caused by his neglect, was then left up to God to heal or make right. I am not a religious person, which is why this particular placing of responsibility in a higher power, when it could be corrected with his own actions, irked me so much. I do not tolerate ignorance well. I cannot tolerate willful ignorance at all.

Several people I have talked to about this book mention it is hard to read. Mainly because of certain events that take place. “Hard” wouldn’t be the word I would choose. Perhaps “difficult” is a better way of putting it. Difficult in a way that you as the reader, having an outside perspective, will easily see the error of decisions being made as Tara recounts the events. You will have to witness the train wreck that occurs knowing full well the cause and how it could have been prevented. But also like a train wreck, you will not be able to look away. This story compels you to witness it.

I believe this book is important because it sheds light on the way some people think and live while believing modern medicine is the work of the devil and whatever else you think you can imagine. The second reason I believe this book is important is because it shows how education allows us to grow. It shows how important education is and how we can sometimes take simple things for granted. I’m not referring to just a formal education but any type of education. You don’t have to go to school to learn. You learn everywhere and can learn many things outside of school. Perhaps even more than what you receive attending classes. Tara’s decision and devotion to her studies is inspiring, yes, but that devotion stemmed from a yearning to better understand the world she lived in. She wanted to know about history and the lives of those who came before her. The more she learned the more she became appalled at her ignorance. She sought to learn everything that she had missed by not attending school earlier. Education allows us to shed prejudices and and better understand each other. Tara’s journey leads her to better understand herself. Both fortunately and unfortunately, it also leads her to better understand her family, and that is where her true battle lies.

There are many times in Tara’s story where you will not be certain of which choices she will make. Will she do what she believes to be right? Or do what she thinks is right by her family? If this were a fictional story, we would be able to predict how the story would end because fiction almost always leaves our character in a better place than where they began. There are often happy endings. Would I consider Tara’s “ending” a happy one? I don’t think so. Bittersweet maybe.

I encourage you to journey alongside Tara as she grows up and begins her journey into the realm of academia. I would love to hear your thoughts about her experiences. Most of all, I hope you learn something from her story.

Happy Reading.