Tara Westover’s memoir reminds students how education is a privilege
“Educated,” by Tara Westover, is a powerful biography that follows a young girl throughout her life and her quest for an education. She grew up in the isolated mountains of Clifton, Idaho, and was born into a family of Mormon survivalists. She was taught to prepare for the end of the world, with disregard to any other “unimportant” aspects of life. It takes her escape from her sheltered home, abusive brother and bipolar father to gain the education that we as high schoolers tend to take for granted.
English teacher Erin Jones said, “I loved ‘Educated’ because it is a true story and it is from a different perspective of someone who has been educated in a different way and had a different route [through life]. I thought it was very eye-opening, and it was a world I can’t imagine most people in and she told it so well with such a clear voice. So yes, I loved it.”
Westover painstakingly depicts her struggle for education, studying for the ACT, teaching herself calculus and summoning the courage to leave her home for the unknown at Brigham Young University, a Mormon university, that despite its rigorous faith expectations was unparalleled to her fathers understanding of devotion.
In order to continue her education, including a master’s degree and doctoral degree in Intellectual History from Cambridge, Westover had to fight for a relationship with her family, ultimately resulting in severed ties with her parents and siblings, besides two of her seven brothers. The sacrifices Westover made in pursuit of an education — one that many are privileged with from birth — exemplifies how valuable it is to be educated, and how ignorant it would be to take it for granted.
Jones said, “Yes, [it did give me a different outlook on students]. I think anytime I read a memoir it gives me a new outlook on life, and that students come from different kinds of backgrounds, and backgrounds that we maybe know very little about.”
Avry Girtsman ‘25 said, “I really enjoyed [‘Educated’]. I thought the story was very unique and special. It definitely encouraged me to feel grateful for the opportunities I have to learn in a classroom. I would highly recommend it to all students and teachers.”
We are all guilty of complaining about classes, homework and school; however, ‘Educated’ admonishes us that while these concerns are reasonable, there are some who fight everyday for the prerogative to learn.
