paigedc's review against another edition
5.0
"My life was narrated for me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs."
Wow. As I began this memoir, I had low expectations for the content and the style of writing, but I was utterly blown away by this account of Tara's life and accomplishments. I was even more impressed with her prose and her vocabulary. This is one intelligent woman!
Born in ultra-rural Idaho to a fundamentalist Mormon family, Tara grew up in a world where women had a very specific place in society. But Tara also helped scrap metal, work with her brothers and father building and using heavy machinery, and listening to her mother develop homeopathic remedies using essential oils and her own intuition.
So many accidents and tragedies befell their family, but they were so averse to interacting with mainstream society that broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, even catastrophic burns were treated at home. On more than one occasion, my mind was blown that people lived like this in actuality.
Tara's story is also one of INTENSE psychological and physical abuse, broad-scope mental illness, and rampant fear. That her fears are downplayed by the ones who should protect her the most only increases the intensity of this thread throughout the story.
When she finally breaks her cycle and is accepted to college (despite the inevitable struggle), and then to Cambridge and finally to Harvard, you marvel at how far she has come. But she truly had to break away from her old life through a series of very difficult interactions in order to become successful and independent and free.
Some will say this book should be viewed as historical fiction or read with a grain of salt. No matter your lens of reading, it is a story of triumph over incredible odds, about empowerment and the ability of education to enable one to rise above drudgery. It is so inspiring.
Wow. As I began this memoir, I had low expectations for the content and the style of writing, but I was utterly blown away by this account of Tara's life and accomplishments. I was even more impressed with her prose and her vocabulary. This is one intelligent woman!
Born in ultra-rural Idaho to a fundamentalist Mormon family, Tara grew up in a world where women had a very specific place in society. But Tara also helped scrap metal, work with her brothers and father building and using heavy machinery, and listening to her mother develop homeopathic remedies using essential oils and her own intuition.
So many accidents and tragedies befell their family, but they were so averse to interacting with mainstream society that broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, even catastrophic burns were treated at home. On more than one occasion, my mind was blown that people lived like this in actuality.
Tara's story is also one of INTENSE psychological and physical abuse, broad-scope mental illness, and rampant fear. That her fears are downplayed by the ones who should protect her the most only increases the intensity of this thread throughout the story.
When she finally breaks her cycle and is accepted to college (despite the inevitable struggle), and then to Cambridge and finally to Harvard, you marvel at how far she has come. But she truly had to break away from her old life through a series of very difficult interactions in order to become successful and independent and free.
Some will say this book should be viewed as historical fiction or read with a grain of salt. No matter your lens of reading, it is a story of triumph over incredible odds, about empowerment and the ability of education to enable one to rise above drudgery. It is so inspiring.
cnxnoname's review against another edition
5.0
WHAT A FUCKING STORY. Excuse my French.
Yo honestly, I do not know how this woman survived this shit. I don’t. I would have died on that damn mountain. This was one powerful story and one of the most intense stories about personal struggle and the fight for survival against the only thing you’ve ever known that I’ve ever read.
Tara Westover is a brilliant writer, you feel every word, every snap and emotional breakdown. You feel the inner turmoil. You feel the awakening, the realization. It’s not written lightly or without thought. It’s heavy.
Education as the through-line in this story reads like background noise. As important and imperative as it is, it was definitely not the main concern. It’s an intense read about the mental effects of abuse, domestic violence and gaslighting. It’s jarring and painful and honestly — when she sort of comes to her “senses” so to speak you want it so bad for her. You need it for her.
Truthfully, this is the best memoir I’ve read this year so far.
Yo honestly, I do not know how this woman survived this shit. I don’t. I would have died on that damn mountain. This was one powerful story and one of the most intense stories about personal struggle and the fight for survival against the only thing you’ve ever known that I’ve ever read.
Tara Westover is a brilliant writer, you feel every word, every snap and emotional breakdown. You feel the inner turmoil. You feel the awakening, the realization. It’s not written lightly or without thought. It’s heavy.
Education as the through-line in this story reads like background noise. As important and imperative as it is, it was definitely not the main concern. It’s an intense read about the mental effects of abuse, domestic violence and gaslighting. It’s jarring and painful and honestly — when she sort of comes to her “senses” so to speak you want it so bad for her. You need it for her.
Truthfully, this is the best memoir I’ve read this year so far.
betweenbookends's review against another edition
4.0
Harrowing and utterly transfixing. Read full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmPYqhzlNSk/?taken-by=between.bookends
christinavdvelde's review against another edition
5.0
Blazed through this so quickly, it was gripping and so well written. Would recommend!
acavanaugh785's review against another edition
5.0
I finished this in 24 hours, so there’s that.
Many people have already commented on how impressive Tara herself is, how brutal and complicated her upbringing, how exalting the book is in favor of an idea of education as self-discovery and curiosity and perseverance. I agree with all of these things.
But despite how unique her story is, what I found here was a bit of a coming of age, and although, yes, Tara’s story is extreme, the fissures that arose in her family—the rift between the paths she and her siblings and parents took—the cultural and familial shifts that accompany new world views and, yes, knowledge—I found this universal and relatable.
Beyond the story, which is riveting, Tara’s writing and voice are beautiful. I loved the line she shared from her professor: a poorly written sentence was a poorly conceived idea. I think she took that sentiment wholly to heart.
I am already imagining ways to pull this into my classroom.
Many people have already commented on how impressive Tara herself is, how brutal and complicated her upbringing, how exalting the book is in favor of an idea of education as self-discovery and curiosity and perseverance. I agree with all of these things.
But despite how unique her story is, what I found here was a bit of a coming of age, and although, yes, Tara’s story is extreme, the fissures that arose in her family—the rift between the paths she and her siblings and parents took—the cultural and familial shifts that accompany new world views and, yes, knowledge—I found this universal and relatable.
Beyond the story, which is riveting, Tara’s writing and voice are beautiful. I loved the line she shared from her professor: a poorly written sentence was a poorly conceived idea. I think she took that sentiment wholly to heart.
I am already imagining ways to pull this into my classroom.
nicolioliolio's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
4.75
mshigherlearning's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
2.0