I don’t know what there is to say about Educated that has not been said a thousand times already, this book was phenomenal. I’ve put off reading Educated for a few years, plagued by my refusal to read the synopsis of any book and opting to go in blind instead, I assumed Educated was going to be a non-fiction, data-heavy sort of read, and never found myself mentally prepped for this kind of dense read. Educated is the opposite of a dense read. It is perhaps the most beautifully written work of non-fiction I’ve read to date. Tara tells her story as if it is just that, a story. Her memoir, written in a style I could only describe as literary non-fiction (take notes, Truman Capote), is powerful and compelling.
Tara tells the story of growing up in a strict Mormon household in the mountains of Idaho with her six siblings, meek midwife mother, and undiagnosed bipolar father. Tara’s father holds the firm belief that the government is working to indoctrinate socialism into the minds of US citizens via the public school and medical systems, among other things. Tara’s father’s mental illness wreaks havoc on their family, resulting in the withholding of a proper education, and many many safety risks in the home. Her parents believed only in the healing power of essential oils and God’s will.
Despite all the failings of her upbringing as a result of her tumultuous family dynamic (to put it lightly), Tara is able to put herself through college at BYU where she becomes a massive success and goes on to obtain graduate degrees at Cambridge. Her story is an absolute inspiration, and it is truly unbelievable all that she has accomplished. While Educated does have some graphic content and difficult subject matter, I unequivocally recommend this book to any and every reader, it is inspirational and just a truly amazing read.