Educated by Tara Westover - Restarting April 5th 2020

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes and the will to change it.

[Pragya]

Till Chapter 4 (view spoiler)[Tara's father had bipolar disorder and her mother ended up having a serious brain injury. Both her parents were not well this would have cause a lot of problems in her life. In old times, like Tara a lot of people didn't knew there own age/birth date. (hide spoiler)]

[Pragya]

Till Chapter 7 (view spoiler)[ Tara finally asked to go to school. Luke would have been in so much pain because of the burns and couldn't even get the proper treatment for it. (hide spoiler)]

[TMR]

Till Chapter 5 (Tara's father was a possible case of bipolar disorder personality, as his antics nowadays would have counted as strange and not something a normal person would do. Her parents were always conflicted with each other's decisions. And she had no idea about her birthdate. Honestly I find this whole thing straight, with not even having some proof of your existence..but then back then people weren't so comfortable placing their birthday in public records. (Spoiler)

[TMR]

Chapter 7- The burns that Luke, Tara's brother had suffered from, weren't treated the way they should have, but suspicion from the doctors could have provoked the government to look into their family and their non existing records. Tara finally makes the decision to go to school which her father disagrees with. Well finally she's making some sensible decisions, proud of her. And as for Luke, I feel godawful about what happened. Sigh...that's what you get when you live in a family like theirs...(Had to DNF as I lost interest with the book.) (Spoiler)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting April 5th 2020. Happy Reading ☺

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[Pragya]

I am starting a day early.
I have started reading this book in November but read few chapters only. I am re-reading it as I hardly remember anything.

[Pragya]

Till Chapter 12
(view spoiler)[ I can't believe Tara's parents wouldn't take their children to hospital to get them treated no matter how serve their injuries were. Tyler, Luke and Tara should have gone to the doctor when they got injured to get the proper cure. Even Tara's mother should have visited the doctors after the accident. Luke getting burn was so bad.
Shawn is such a bully. How he had hurt Sadie and then Tara. Why didn't she told her parents about it?
(hide spoiler)]

[min sung ellie]

I actually started on the first! I thought I'd get ahead and I wrote my notes and I'll post them one by one. Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

[min sung ellie]

End of Ch 9
(view spoiler)[ this book is really interesting so far. I rarely read memoirs so it's giving me different vibes than I',m used to. I think Tara's mo is not as a hard believer as her dad, but because she loves him and is afraid to go against him, she doesn't stand up for herself and does what she is told. Some of the stories being told are really sad. I can't wait for this to progress into something really inspirational. (hide spoiler)]

End of Ch 17
(view spoiler)[ I feel like Tara has lived in isolation all her life and never realized how loud the world outside of hers can be. The adaptation to change, being accepted, and finding yourself in such a massive world can be overwhelming and challenging and I can't wait to see how she grows. especially because the beliefs she lived by as a child were ones that she never down right chose, she's taking a step towards discovering what SHE WANTS FOR HERSELF. (hide spoiler)]

[Pragya]

ellie wrote: "End of Ch 9
[spoilers removed]

End of Ch 17
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ This is a totally different world for her whose language she is gonna learn soon. It's going to be a difficult journey. She will need to study extremely hard to succeed.
(hide spoiler)]

[Pragya]

Till Chapter 22
(view spoiler)[ It's so painful. Why did she kept returning back home? I hate Shawn. I hate her mother and her father for not saving her from Shawn.
(hide spoiler)]

[Pragya]

Till Chapter 29
(view spoiler)[ OMG!!! They didn't took her father to the hospital. So many times I thought he died just like her. Her upbringing has affected all her relationships. I am happy she got selected.
(hide spoiler)]

[Pragya]

Finished!
(view spoiler)[ Her parents are a piece of work. Her sister in the end saved herself and pushed Tara under the bus.
(hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Hey everyone, I am a bit in now. Can't wait to catch up and read what y'all thought.

[Amanda]

Chapter 5
(view spoiler)[ Tara's father reminds me of Lenny's father in The Great Alone. He is very controlling, the family must tip-toe around him worrying they might make a mistake. His actions are guided by religion and fear of government instead of the terrors of Vietnam. His wife suffers in a terrible car accident, but they never see a doctor. They later discover the coloring around her eyes is due to brain injury, yet nothing is done. After the accident, Tyler decides he will be going to college. His father believes it is a place for people too stupid to learn the first time around and believes professors to be knowingly tellings lies, or falsely believing they are helping. Tarra had a chance to leave with her grandmother, earlier, but she knows little of school and is afraid to leave her family behind. I am really ejoying this so far. It is well-written, riveting and intriguing. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Chapter 13 (view spoiler)[
Wow, a lot has happened so quickly It is hard to read this book and not cringe and wonder how no one reacts to their father, and how no one thought it was wrong or questioned it. The injuries they all endure from the mother, to Luke to Tarra and even some by Tyler and the father … people can survive so much. Many of the children leaving leaves an interesting dicodomy between the kids and the parents. The mother seems to disagree with a lot of what the father does, but is afraid to disagree. Tarra dancing was a problem because it was inappropriate to do in a church, but her singing was alright.
Meeting the brother Sean rbings a whole other sense of danger ot the picture and I am curious how this will turn out. His actions are very controlling towards women and I wonder how much of his father he has in him. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Chapter 26:
(view spoiler)[ Tara is going through school, trying to survive and unlearn everything she has been taught her entire life. Medicine isn't the devil, a grant isn't selling yourself to the government, that there was a thing called the holocaust, mental illnesses impact a person and their family and so much more. Her father's accident was one of the most terrifying events of tara life. His skin was burnt away, and yet they do not bring him to the doctor. They keep him home. As of now, he survives..... Tara drives me crazy! (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Pragya wrote: "Till Chapter 22
It's so painful. Why did she kept returning back home? I hate Shawn. I hate her mother and her father for not saving her from Shawn.
"

I hate him too, but can we blame him? Look at his father. It seems he suffers from many of his fathers conditions. I don't know why she keeps going back. We don't choose our family and we love them, doesn't mean we like them.

[Pragya]

Amanda wrote: "Pragya wrote: "Till Chapter 22
It's so painful. Why did she kept returning back home? I hate Shawn. I hate her mother and her father for not saving her from Shawn.
"

I hate him too, but can we ..."

But they just keep pulling her back. Family should be a safe and happy place.

[Pragya]

Amanda wrote: "Chapter 13
Wow, a lot has happened so quickly It is hard to read this book and not cringe and wonder how no one reacts to their father, and how no one thought it was wrong or questioned it. The i..."

(view spoiler)[ I have no words for her mother. She is someone else and tries to be another entirely. Atleast we exactly know who her father is.
(hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Pragya wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Chapter 13
Wow, a lot has happened so quickly It is hard to read this book and not cringe and wonder how no one reacts to their father, and how no one thought it was wrong or questi..."
(view spoiler)[ Her mother is honestly the worst of them all: someone you think you can confide in but you can't. If anyone is "possessed by the devil" wouldn't it be her? Isn't a mother supposed to defend and protect her young? (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Finished:
(view spoiler)[ So while I liked this book, man, there were so many things that got me so upset! First of all, what kind of mother does that to her children? Promises to defned, but is deceitful all the way through? Cares more about her business and her husband's approval instead of her children's safety? I wonder if the pain and torture still occur with Shawn, and I wouldn't be surprised if they did. But kootos to Tara for getting the PHD. (hide spoiler)]

[min sung ellie]

End of Ch 28
(view spoiler)[ I thought I'd post some of my favorite quotes so far! "I read them to learn what to think, not how to think for myself" "You act like someone who is impersonating someone else. And it's as if you think your life depends on it" I think that these quotes really show the difficulties with self discovery when growing up. (hide spoiler)]

End of Ch 31
(view spoiler)[ I think this is the pivotal moment when Tara gains power. Her email exchange with her family is so powerful, she is finally standing up for herself and what she believes in, and her familiy beings to think about their wrongdoings and how they can improve. In doing so, Tara is able to shift her life into something that she can look forward to, and stop lingering on her past in shame. I love love love how this story is unfolding, because I think the discovery of our own voices is something that's so strong and so challenging when growing up. (hide spoiler)]

[min sung ellie]

Here are my final reviews! I finished on 4/4 but i didn't get around to posting all my buddy read comments! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[min sung ellie]

Amanda wrote: "Finished:
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I totally understand how you feel! Some parts made me really really angry too but I think the point of the book is Tara lived her life not thinking all of these were wrong. The beauty is that by the end, Tara got to escape and create her own way of living. (hide spoiler)]

[min sung ellie]

Pragya wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Chapter 13
Wow, a lot has happened so quickly It is hard to read this book and not cringe and wonder how no one reacts to their father, and how no one thought it was wrong or questi..."

(view spoiler)[ I totally agree. Tara's mom is an interesting character because she has her own beliefs, but supports her husband instead of following through with what she believes in. I think she's scared to stand up to him. (hide spoiler)]