From the Bookshelf of EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club…

Educated

Tara Westover

Start date: May 1, 2019

Finish date: May 31, 2019

Discussion: CURRENTLY READING

Why we're reading this: Group pick for May ‘19 - Modern Classic/Popular
[close] Group pick for May ‘19 - Modern Classic/Popular

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What Members Thought

Sep 25, 2020 Marla rated it really liked it

Shelves: with-reservations, adult, religion, couldnt-put-down, award-winner, girl-power, non-fiction, celebrate-christmas, ebook, mixed-reviews

Wow, this book exposes the reader to a dysfunctional family with mental illness in the rural mountains of Idaho. The family may be fanatically Morman, but that is part of the family dynamics and not the focus of the story. I was surprised that it wasn't more about the survivalist life style.

Likes:
* Butterfly Express, mother's very successful 22 year old business of essential oils, tinctures, minerals, diffusers and jewelry
(view spoiler)

Dislikes:
* Val and LaRee Westover refuse ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Mar 18, 2019 Chris C rated it liked it

I admit that I was fairly obsessed with getting to read this book since I read the glowing recommendations from both Bill Gates & Pres. Obama; I waited for the library to put it on their "Hot of the Press" shelf and came daily to see if a copy was available.

After finishing it, I did appreciate the starkness to which Tara mentions her otherworldly childhood: the junkyard scrabbling, living on the mountain, not receiving any formal education, and the utter distrust of everything that would be def ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 01, 2019 Jani rated it really liked it

I avoided this book for so long. Now I’m unsure why. It was a well written slightly terrifying book.
I do not doubt Tara Westover lived this story.
On the flip side I don’t doubt her family has vastly different memories. That is just how life happens.
I hope everyone finds their own peace in the end.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 10, 2019 Kim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-in-2019

These are the memoirs of a girl raised in rural Idaho by Mormon parents who don't believe in government, public education or western medicine. Her mom had good intentions of homeschooling the children, but got worn out by the time she got to her youngest children and this girl is the youngest of seven. The story of the young girl living in this environment and how she eventually got herself accepted to BYU even though she had zero formal education was very interesting. Imagine taking a college l ...more

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Mar 27, 2019 TheAccidental Reader rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookclub

It's hard to imagine someone arriving at college without having any idea that instead of looking at the pictures in an art book, you can read the text in the art book too.........and if you do so, you are likely to be able to pass the test on what is in the book. But that's exactly the situation that Tara Westover lived. She and three of her seven siblings ended up getting their PhDs despite never having had any schooling, and despite their so-called "home-schooling" which involved no schedule, ...more

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Nov 14, 2019 Laurel Bradshaw rated it liked it

Shelves: color-rating-pink, non-fiction, audiobook, daytimers-book-club, memoir

3.5 which I am rounding down. This is a painful story of an abusive, dysfunctional family. Much of it is unbelievable. The writing is impressive, though at times repetitive and uneven. It is not really about education. I would like to have heard more about that part of her story, and maybe less about her agonizing over trying to separate from her family. This may well be typical of someone growing up constantly gaslighted by ones parents. It is hard to believe that her family members could have ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Kerri Willoughby rated it it was amazing

Incredible memoir of Tara’s conservative & abusive upbringing. So impressive how she overcame obstacles and became so successful on her own. With love and compassion for her family even as they condemned it. Everyone should read this.

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Apr 25, 2020 CMG (Mac) rated it it was ok

Shelves: put-it-down-for-now

Liked the education story; the family abuse story wasn’t my cup of tea. I am empathetic and I assume the author thinks they are inseparable and critically entertained. In a way, neither story is extraordinary. The author must have been very smart and made an impression to get the initial attention from her professor. I thought it was very good writing except a few sentences seemed overblown and struck a wrong chord. (Versus the honesty of most of the other sentences.) I think I didn’t like her m ...more

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