Educated in Busy as a Bee Books

May 13, 2018 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, _own-home-library, from-publisher, memoir, rec-ig-blogs-friends-other, edelweis-netgalley_review, _own-ebook, arc-copy, rec-book-riot, read-in-2018

I anticipated that this might be a 5 star read for me but it didn’t quite make it there. I suspect some of that had to do with the number of interviews with the author I heard before picking up the book. In many ways, major components of the book were ‘spoiled’ in those interviews and therefore didn’t have the emotional resonance that they may have if I’d come into the book without the interviews. This is one that had a ton of buzz. I heard about it everywhere! That can sometimes impact my enjoy ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Dec 31, 2018 Marly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-reading-journal

This book was amazing, my last book read in 2018 and this story will stay with me a long time. It has left me infuriated and encouraged at the same time.

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2022 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, arc-titles, memoir

I'm still in a toss up to give this book a 4.5 or 5 star review. The writing was incredible, especially considering that the author had not stepped into a school until age 17.

This book was sitting on my TBR shelf since 2018 via NetGalley. I'm not sure why it took me so long to read it. Though the NetGalley version was an e-book, I decided since I could get an audio copy from the library, to listen to it instead. Once I started it, I pretty much was able to finish it in about two weeks. I also p I'm still in a toss up to give this book a 4.5 or 5 star review. The writing was incredible, especially considering that the author had not stepped into a school until age 17.

This book was sitting on my TBR shelf since 2018 via NetGalley. I'm not sure why it took me so long to read it. Though the NetGalley version was an e-book, I decided since I could get an audio copy from the library, to listen to it instead. Once I started it, I pretty much was able to finish it in about two weeks. I also purposely tried not to know anything about the book going into it, despite seeing that it had been a New York Times Bestseller.

The first chapters were a little slow for me to get into, but then it took off and I found it pretty hard to put down (so to speak since I was listening to it). At times I was just so shocked at how the way Tara's family treated her (even though they believed the way they did), especially her older brother's physical and mental abuse. The guilt trips she went through and the way her family tested her loyalty. Despite everything, Tara really made something of herself and I do hope that she is truly proud of how she stood up for herself, even when it meant going against her family--or rather the family going against her. Basically self-taught, I found it so incredible how she managed to earn a PhD from Cambridge University! The title of the book was so well thought out. Even though Tara didn't get the mainstream education as most, she learned a lot from her family from working in the scrap yard to learning about herbs and such to actual book/scholarly learning. It's also not surprising that it took her so long to make the break from her family! She wrote the book rather objectively, in my opinion, especially considering everything she went through to get where she is now. It is still hard to believe that the person who wrote so beautifully educated herself!

I would highly recommend this book not for all the hype and recognition it got, but instead to read the story about an amazing young women who overcame so many obstacles and managed to come out on top, despite so much negativity that came from her family and upbringing. She is truly inspiring! ...more

Like · see review