WTRW: Educated

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Have you ever stayed up all night reading a book. I've done this twice in my life, the second time was last night. Admittedly, it was a foolish decision as I have two children to take care of during the day. But this book was so good I couldn't put it down.

You may have heard of Educated by Tara Westover and for a good reason. It's the memoir of a girl who grew up with fundamentalist parents, and 6 siblings, on a farm in rural Idaho. The kids didn't go to school, nor did they really homeschool. So it's amazing when 2 of their kids (including the author, Tara) make it into college. It's in college that Tara realizes her father likely has some kind of mental issues.

Vogue described the book as "Beautiful and propulsive...Despite the singularity of Westover's childhood, the questions her book poses are universal: How much of ourselves should we give to those we love? And how much must we betray them to grow up?" I share the quote because it describes the book perfectly without giving too much away which I am always worried about.

​If you're wondering how extreme the circumstances of her home life were, when she went to college she didn't know what the Holocaust was. She thought it was perfectly fine to let her food rot in the fridge without taking it out. Anyone wearing clothing that showed any kind of skin was trying to lead her down the path to Satan. She was like a baby sea turtle hatched into the real world without any real knowledge of what she was getting into.

A lesson I'm taking from this is to be more understanding of people's differences. We never know their backgrounds and how that has affected their personalities. And although you can tell her life was difficult and scary at times, she doesn't write out of anger it seems. She does write with compassion and strength. Her retelling of stories from her childhood, doesn't fill me with anger but a compulsion to help those around me to not be trapped in her same circumstances.

This book is really sticking with me and I hope you will read it. It's really good.