Educated by Tara Westover just proved to me that sometimes my irrational fear of non-fiction is, well, irrational! I absolutely devoured this memoir in two days, which is unheard of with me and non-fiction. I’m in no way trying to diminish the real-life trauma she went through when I say that this book reads like fiction, only that she has a lovely smooth writing style that immerses you just like a novel would.
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Raised by survivalist Mormons, Tara did not undertake any formal education until she was 17, when she decided she wanted to go to university. The mental and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and sadistic brother made me feel sick to my stomach, and that she achieved what she went onto achieve is nothing short of remarkable.
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Sometimes the ‘like fiction’ made me forget I was reading true events, and I found myself rolling my eyes when she recalls one of her professors at Cambridge claiming her essay was the best he’d ever read in over 20 years of teaching - because if that WERE to happen in a novel, who would believe it? But I gave myself a shake and reminded myself that this young woman clearly has an astounding mind, and she rose up through what would probably damage irreparably another person (certainly me) to excel in the academic world.
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Tara’s passion for education shines through the pages, and I feel like this book will serve as an inspiration for many people for years to come. To be honest, I can’t *quite* put my finger on why I ended up rating this one 4 instead of 5 - but an excellent read nonetheless and I can only applaud her for what she’s accomplished in the face of every obstacle life could possibly throw at her!