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A review by arachneweaver
Educated by Tara Westover
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Scrupulous memoir (you can tell the author is a historian), lyrical, and carefully fair—which makes the incidents recounted all the more horrific.
If this were a work of fiction, I’d judge it as being too over-the-top, and say that the protagonist is unbelievable and stupid in her actions (abusive brother has just broken her wrist in public? She should scream — not try to cover up for him!) But…it’s a memoir.
_Educated_ is being promoted as a story of a triumph over impossible odds—and it is that—but IMO, it’s a searing indictment of the America’s blind acceptance of abuse and denial of human rights when these take place in the context of religion and/or family. The freedom we espouse should never be the “freedom” of a few powerful men to steal the freedom of women and children.
If this were a work of fiction, I’d judge it as being too over-the-top, and say that the protagonist is unbelievable and stupid in her actions (abusive brother has just broken her wrist in public? She should scream — not try to cover up for him!) But…it’s a memoir.
_Educated_ is being promoted as a story of a triumph over impossible odds—and it is that—but IMO, it’s a searing indictment of the America’s blind acceptance of abuse and denial of human rights when these take place in the context of religion and/or family. The freedom we espouse should never be the “freedom” of a few powerful men to steal the freedom of women and children.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail