Educated

The story

Educated is an extraordinary story about a Mormon girl, Tara Westover, who overcame everything to get an education. I had never heard the word Mormon until I read this book. As I was discovering this Christian sect, I learnt it is a usual practice for Mormons to home-school their children. They seem to have an aversion towards formal education, western medicine, and technology, and some even believe in polygamy. They are taught principles of self-reliance as a way of life. Hence, they are prepared to withstand difficulties and challenges such as natural disasters, illness, job loss and other unplanned events. Tara belonged to one such family in Idaho.

Her family was a little more unique than the average Mormon family. What set them apart wasn’t that men made the decisions, women belonged in the kitchen and obeyed them; it was instead her father’s undiagnosed bipolar and schizophrenia.

As per her father’s wishes, her family thoroughly prepared for the end of the world before Y2K and hoarded an enormous amount of food and fuel. Tara’s father’s behavioural issues were off the limits for discussion; it was simply accepted. Be it a motor vehicle accident or a workplace injury, no matter how serious it may be, seeking medical help was never an option. Her father once had a third degree burn which melted a part of his face and he refused to seek medical help. Tara and her family tended to him and used essential oils, herbs and home made tinctures to heal him.

She was the youngest of the seven siblings. Her older brother, Shawn’s violent streak added insult to the injury. He beat her up at any time she exhibited signs of becoming an adolescent, like wanting to befriend other adolescents and wearing non-baggy clean clothes.

Pursuing formal education

Naturally, Tara never went to school, but she was taught to read the Bible. Because singing aligned with her family’s beliefs, with some resistance and her mother’s help, she was allowed to join the choir. Being the odd one out, she did not make friends, and when she looked at a boy, her brother strangled her and forced her head into the toilet. Parental intervention during such occasions were minimal.

Until her late teens, Tara was only nudged by her grandmother and older brother, Tyler, about getting a formal education. Her mother whispered her encouragements lest someone heard her. So Tara took a shot at the ACT exams. She taught herself the syllabus but failed. Having never taken an exam, she scored an amazing 22 out of 36. And in her next attempt, she scored 28, which landed her at a well established Mormon school, Brigham Young University (BYU). So at the age of seventeen, Tara sets foot into a school for the very first time.

It was a long shot, but I was the queen of long shots.

Dr. Tara Westover

Her university life was the most interesting to read about; it exemplified how far removed her reality was from the world we popularly know. Some instances made me giggle, while some were so shocking that I had to take a break to put my dropped jaw and popped eyeballs back into place. I will save them for your reading pleasure.

Tara persevered everyday to fill the of knowledge lacuna. Her academic growth was remarkable. Eventually, she not only graduated from BYU but also won a scholarship to study at Cambridge. She was later awarded the Gates scholarship to pursue her Ph.D. at Trinity College, Cambridge University. During 2019-20, she joined the Shorenstein Centre at Harvard University. Her journey is nothing less than miraculous, but the process was not. She devoted herself to her one goal which was to get educated.

Without undermining Tara’s outstanding success, there are similar stories of real people who overcame the impossible. They all are exceptional. Individuals like Tara have the courage to work hard to afford their dreams under the threat of numerous obstacles. For her, it was the threat of violence, familial beliefs and affordability. Her education transformed her, but her courage is the reason for who she is today. Taking the ACT exams without ever going to school is courage and her innate character. Courage, accompanied by education, metamorphosized her.

The narrative

What stood out for me was Tara’s narrative. Even though her family stories sometimes sound tyrannical, she does not paint a biased picture of them. She has shared heartwarming anecdotes about Shawn, her parents and the rest of the family. She effortlessly covered difficult subjects most cannot talk about. As an author she did an excellent job of narrating her story as it is.

Families are complicated and we ought to refrain from forming opinions based on little information. Towards the end of the book Tara becomes estranged with her family but in a sense she stays bounded with them by unwavering love and familial values. From all this, I gather Tara is not only intelligent and courageous, she is also kind.

Tackling mental health

The mental health issues that overpowered Tara’s life has had lasting repercussions. This in not unique to her, mental health issues are rampant and yet they often cannot be talked about with friends, in a job interview or mentioned in a University admission application. People tend to hide it, pretend to be able to fit in. The battle, however, continues within, often preventing one from seeking help.

I doubt Tara’s teaches, friends and mentors knew about the depth of her limitations. But I was impressed by the individuals who lent her a hand and recognized her potential. The story is not only about Tara; it is also about her family, the bishops, Professor Steinberg, the Gates Foundation, and all the people who opened doors for her.

My takeaway

Tara, now Dr. Tara Westover, is an exemplary student and a person. I strive to be like Tara in the face of a closed doors, and be a door opener, like all those who supported her, for someone who needs it. I wonder if Tara could reach her potential without help? I think, yes. But maybe not to the extent she has now.

Further reading

1. If you liked Educated or my blog, you will enjoy reading the ‘other writing’ section Tara’s website – https://tarawestover.com
2. Bill Gates gives a more elaborate comment on this book and discusses some elements which Tara’s Memoir tangentially touches. All this forms a very important part of the conversation, therefore Gates Notes is a must read – https://www.gatesnotes.com/Educated
3. Read noteworthy quotations for Educated – https://contemporology.com/2024/03/22/educated-noteworthy-quotations/