Kindergarten, school, college, maybe grad school: the standard path for most of the population, up to the school stage at least. It’s accepted without question. 


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Kindergarten, school, college, maybe grad school: the standard path for most of the population, up to the school stage at least. It’s accepted without question.

This isn’t an option for Tara Westover. Born and raised in rural Idaho, the youngest of seven children of Mormon survivalist parents, she’s 17 before she sets foot in a classroom.

This isn’t an option for Tara Westover. Born and raised in rural Idaho, the youngest of seven children of Mormon survivalist parents, she’s 17 before she sets foot in a classroom. 


The struggle to tutor herself, gain a higher education and find her own voice, while still trying to stay loyal to her family and faith, fuels her constant journal writing. In time these become a memoir.

The struggle to tutor herself, gain a higher education and find her own voice, while still trying to stay loyal to her family and faith, fuels her constant journal writing. In time these become a memoir. 


Tara lives at the base of majestic Buck’s Peak. The only life she knows is toiling in her father’s junkyard, submitting to his tyrannical control and enduring his twisted version of Mormon theology.

Tara lives at the base of majestic Buck’s Peak. The only life she knows is toiling in her father’s junkyard, submitting to his tyrannical control and enduring his twisted version of Mormon theology. 


Despite the family’s isolation and lack of conventional education, some of Tara’s siblings have an urge to learn. They hide themselves away to read and study, in defiance of their father Gene. School education is a government conspiracy.

Despite the family’s isolation and lack of conventional education, some of Tara’s siblings have an urge to learn. They hide themselves away to read and study, in defiance of their father Gene. School education is a government conspiracy.


Spare funds are spent stockpiling food and fuel to ensure the family are ready for the imminent ‘End of Days’. A sense of threat pervades, whether from ‘the Feds’, or from the medical or school establishment.

Spare funds are spent stockpiling food and fuel to ensure the family are ready for the imminent ‘End of Days’. A sense of threat pervades, whether from ‘the Feds’, or from the medical or school establishment. 


Tara has no birth certificate or medical records. She was born at home and has never seen a doctor. Contact with the outside world is kept to a minimum.

Tara has no birth certificate or medical records. She was born at home and has never seen a doctor. Contact with the outside world is kept to a minimum. 


But there’s a lifeline. Tara devours the handful of books in the house: dog-eared maths books, children’s science books, plus the ever-present Book of Mormon and New Testament.

But there’s a lifeline. Tara devours the handful of books in the house: dog-eared maths books, children’s science books, plus the ever-present Book of Mormon and New Testament.


She takes steps to get away, taking on other jobs in the closest town and making contact with other families and children her own age. She saves up and travels to buy textbooks, and works hard at learning trigonometry. She prepares to take the ACT college entry exam.

She takes steps to get away, taking on other jobs in the closest town and making contact with other families and children her own age. She saves up and travels to buy textbooks, and works hard at learning trigonometry. She prepares to take the ACT college

Part one of Educated ends with a frustrated outburst from Tara’s father. He doesn’t forbid her from going to college (she’s been accepted into Brigham Young University), but makes it clear that pursuing an education is a grievous affront to his wisdom and authority.

Part one of Educated ends with a frustrated outburst from Tara’s father. He doesn’t forbid her from going to college (she’s been accepted into Brigham Young University), but makes it clear that pursuing an education is a grievous affront to his wisdom and

Growing up in the End of Days

Despite Tara’s yearning to get away, college life proves a shock to the system. She’s never lived away from home and finds the noise of the city deafening. Although Brigham Young is a Mormon institution, she finds her roommates less than devout.

Despite Tara’s yearning to get away, college life proves a shock to the system. She’s never lived away from home and finds the noise of the city deafening. Although Brigham Young is a Mormon institution, she finds her roommates less than devout. 


Tara is horrified that other girls wear off the shoulder tops, have skirts that expose their legs and drink Diet Coke. They in turn are a little disgusted with her slovenly hygiene.

Tara is horrified that other girls wear off the shoulder tops, have skirts that expose their legs and drink Diet Coke. They in turn are a little disgusted with her slovenly hygiene. 


She’s grown up in a home where soap was used once, maybe twice a week, and washing your hands after going to the toilet was frowned on.

She’s grown up in a home where soap was used once, maybe twice a week, and washing your hands after going to the toilet was frowned on. 


In class, Tara’s huge gaps in knowledge quickly become apparent. She raises her hand to ask about the term ‘Holocaust’. What does it mean? It shocks the room into silence. What sort of person has reached their late teens and never heard of the Holocaust?

In class, Tara’s huge gaps in knowledge quickly become apparent. She raises her hand to ask about the term ‘Holocaust’. What does it mean? It shocks the room into silence. What sort of person has reached their late teens and never heard of the Holocaust?


It’s these events that were previously unknown to her – Nazism, the Civil Rights Movement – which ignite her interest in history. Once she understands what’s required, she begins to excel. But financial pressures and a growing sense of polarity between her old self and new take their toll.

It’s these events that were previously unknown to her – Nazism, the Civil Rights Movement – which ignite her interest in history. Once she understands what’s required, she begins to excel. But financial pressures and a growing sense of polarity between he

Tara refuses financial aid, despite being in desperate need of it. Something inside her says that taking money from an institution is wrong, particularly if it’s something to do with the government.

Tara refuses financial aid, despite being in desperate need of it. Something inside her says that taking money from an institution is wrong, particularly if it’s something to do with the government.


The internal struggle manifests as physical symptoms. Stress-induced stomach ulcers finally lead her to ask for help, and to take a painkiller tablet for the first time. She’s spent her life hearing warnings that conventional medicine was the work of the Devil, and is stunned by its efficacy.

The internal struggle manifests as physical symptoms. Stress-induced stomach ulcers finally lead her to ask for help, and to take a painkiller tablet for the first time. She’s spent her life hearing warnings that conventional medicine was the work of the 

Tara heads home after her first semester, and she’s made to work back in the family junkyard or risk being thrown out of home. Her abusive brother Shawn makes her life hell, physically attacking her in front of a new boyfriend.

Tara heads home after her first semester, and she’s made to work back in the family junkyard or risk being thrown out of home. Her abusive brother Shawn makes her life hell, physically attacking her in front of a new boyfriend.


Tara is relieved to get back to college and resume a deepening love of history, even if her religion deems its study “unwomanly”. With the intervention of one of her tutors, she’s offered the chance to take part in an exchange program to Cambridge University in England.

Tara is relieved to get back to college and resume a deepening love of history, even if her religion deems its study “unwomanly”. With the intervention of one of her tutors, she’s offered the chance to take part in an exchange program to Cambridge Univers

She’s torn between her degrading past and promising future. She’s an imposter. Is the ‘real’ Tara the one that lives on the mountain, safe in her parent’s world view, or the Tara who can craft good essays and make snappy wisecracks at a university dinner?

She’s torn between her degrading past and promising future. She’s an imposter. Is the ‘real’ Tara the one that lives on the mountain, safe in her parent’s world view, or the Tara who can craft good essays and make snappy wisecracks at a university dinner?

Culture shock

In the final part of Educated, Tara Westover’s academic achievements reach new heights. She becomes a permanent student at Cambridge, but still feels at odds with her “refined, educated” peers who know little of her background.

In the final part of Educated, Tara Westover’s academic achievements reach new heights. She becomes a permanent student at Cambridge, but still feels at odds with her “refined, educated” peers who know little of her background. 


She starts to investigate early feminist texts, questioning and ultimately rejecting the tenets of polygamy and, by extension, misogyny at Mormonism’s heart.

She starts to investigate early feminist texts, questioning and ultimately rejecting the tenets of polygamy and, by extension, misogyny at Mormonism’s heart. 


On a visit to Rome, friends help her see that she can “admire the past without being silenced by it”. She’s torn between the new person she’s becoming, and the person she feels she still is.

On a visit to Rome, friends help her see that she can “admire the past without being silenced by it”. She’s torn between the new person she’s becoming, and the person she feels she still is. 


A single email from her sister drags her back to the ‘other’ life back home. She’s pulled into more family dramas, with her sister and mother turning against her.

A single email from her sister drags her back to the ‘other’ life back home. She’s pulled into more family dramas, with her sister and mother turning against her.


The effect on Tara’s academic career is shattering: she suffers a breakdown, is plagued by self-doubt and retreats from her studies, binge-watching box sets.

The effect on Tara’s academic career is shattering: she suffers a breakdown, is plagued by self-doubt and retreats from her studies, binge-watching box sets. 


At times – for instance when her parents visit her in Harvard, where she moves on a visiting fellowship – she is tempted to “swap my memories for theirs”. Even with the horrors of her family life, the thought of being cut-off forever from them is devastating.

At times – for instance when her parents visit her in Harvard, where she moves on a visiting fellowship – she is tempted to “swap my memories for theirs”. Even with the horrors of her family life, the thought of being cut-off forever from them is devastat

The lure of home and the force of family bonds almost sway her, but the perspective she’s gained through her education give her the strength to cling to her own story and her new life.

The lure of home and the force of family bonds almost sway her, but the perspective she’s gained through her education give her the strength to cling to her own story and her new life. 


There is no conventional happy ending. Tara goes on to study at Harvard, but remains estranged from several members of her family. Writing the book becomes her therapy, but then she has to deal with the fallout.

There is no conventional happy ending. Tara goes on to study at Harvard, but remains estranged from several members of her family. Writing the book becomes her therapy, but then she has to deal with the fallout.


Some of her siblings write critical reviews on Amazon, refuting her version of events. She stands by her account, which is drawn from copious journal entries.

Some of her siblings write critical reviews on Amazon, refuting her version of events. She stands by her account, which is drawn from copious journal entries. 


Educated is not just another misery memoir. It reads like a novel and – be warned – is hard to put down. But don’t forget its real theme: education doesn’t just provide better opportunities in life, it can liberate us from the prisons of our own minds.

Educated is not just another misery memoir. It reads like a novel and – be warned – is hard to put down. But don’t forget its real theme: education doesn’t just provide better opportunities in life, it can liberate us from the prisons of our own minds.


Themes and takeaways

Educated: A Memoir

Educated: Tara's Story

'Educated': Tara Westover's masterpiece in 7 minutes

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Memoir 📝

Education 📖

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