Reviews
"This remarkable memoir--one of the best I've ever read--is my kind of miracle. The book made me cringe, cry out, cover my eyes, shake with anger, beam with pride, and appreciate the trials that led to my own education. Tara's story will find a place alongside modern classic memoirs, like Wild and The Glass Castle . It's that special." --Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness "Like The Glass Castle, Educated is a wise and deep reflection about surviving one's family. I bow down to Tara Westover, not only for her marvelous, sentence-by-sentence craftsmanship but also for making sense and meaning from a confounding and hair-raising childhood. This is memoir at its best." --Kelly Corrigan, author of The Middle Place "Tara is marvelous. There is no feeling like discovering a young writer springing up fully armed with so much talent." --Stephen Fry "An incredible memoir of triumph over seemingly endless adversity. The author's ability to write about her experiences in a clear-eyed, nonjudgmental way makes her story a pleasure to read. A study in the power and wonder of resilience." --Cea Sunrise Person, author of the bestselling North of Normal and Nearly Normal "Powerful, moving, brave in its revelation of profound humiliations, naked and completely at home in its form, Tara Westover's Educated gives us homegrown American originals who find their Mormon congregation too conventional and raise their children on a western mountain, refusing them birth certificates and not allowing them to attend school. This is a daughter's story of how she grew into herself and came to understand her home. This book would be far less harrowing if it were a novel." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary western landscape of her coming of age and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt growing up among fanatics. We give ourselves over to her telling, even when she takes us to the very darkest places a family can dwell. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed. I loved this book, and this woman." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble, "This remarkable memoir--one of the best I've ever read--is my kind of miracle. The book made me cringe, cry out, cover my eyes, shake with anger, beam with pride, and appreciate the trials that led to my own education. Tara's story will find a place alongside modern classic memoirs like Wild and The Glass Castle . It's that special." --Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary Western landscape of her coming of age, and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt, growing up among fanatics. We give ourselves over to her telling, even when she takes us to the very darkest places a family can dwell. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed. I loved this book, and this woman." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble "Like The Glass Castle, Educated is a wise and deep reflection about surviving one's family. I bow down to Tara Westover, not only for her marvelous, sentence-by-sentence craftsmanship but also for making sense and meaning from a confounding and hair-raising childhood. This is memoir at its best." --Kelly Corrigan, author of The Middle Place "Tara is marvelous. There is no feeling like discovering a young writer springing up fully armed with so much talent." --Stephen Fry "Powerful, moving, brave in its revelation of profound humiliations, naked and completely at home in its form, Tara Westover's Educated gives us a home grown all-American monster--an armed fundamentalist mountain man who refuses his children birth certificates and won't let them attend school. This is his youngest daughter's memoir of how she grew into herself, learned to distinguish the smell that pervaded her home, the myths she was brought up on, and the danger she just barely eluded." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here, " Educated shines a light on a part of our country that we too often overlook. Tara Westover's powerful tale--of trying to find a place for herself in the world, without losing her connection to her family or her beloved home--deserves to be widely read. My Mamaw would have been rooting for Tara." --J. D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy "This remarkable memoir--one of the best I've ever read--is my kind of miracle. The book made me cringe, cry out, cover my eyes, shake with anger, beam with pride, and appreciate the trials that led to my own education. Tara Westover's story will find a place alongside modern classic memoirs like Wild and The Glass Castle . It's that special." --Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire "Breathtaking, heart-wrenching, inspirational--I've never read anything like this. Educated tells the story of a young girl's escape from violence and emotional prison. It is about the love of family and the pain of family both, the ferocity of the human spirit, and the power of education to change lives. Educated is one of the best books, and Westover one of the most gifted writers, that I've read in a very long time." --Amy Chua, Yale law professor and author of Political Tribes and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary western landscape of her coming of age, and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt, growing up among fanatics. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble " Educated is a wise and deep reflection about surviving one's family. This is memoir at its best." --Kelly Corrigan, author of The Middle Place "Marvelous . . . There is no feeling like discovering a young writer springing up fully armed with so much talent." --Stephen Fry "Powerful, moving, brave, naked, and completely at home in its form. This is a daughter's story of how she grew into herself and came to understand her home. This book would be far less harrowing if it were a novel." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere but Here, "Powerful, moving, brave in its revelation of profound humiliations, naked and completely at home in its form." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary western landscape of her coming of age and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt growing up among fanatics. We give ourselves over to her telling, even when she takes us to the very darkest places a family can dwell. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed. I loved this book, and this woman." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble, "Powerful, moving, brave in its revelation of profound humiliations, naked and completely at home in its form, Tara Westover's Educated gives us homegrown American originals, who find their Mormon congregation too conventional, and raise their children on a western mountain, refusing them birth certificates and not allowing them to attend school. This is a daughter's story of how she grew into herself and comes to understand her home. This book would be far less harrowing if it were a novel." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary western landscape of her coming of age and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt growing up among fanatics. We give ourselves over to her telling, even when she takes us to the very darkest places a family can dwell. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed. I loved this book, and this woman." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble, "Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others." -- The New York Times Book Review "Westover is a keen and honest guide to the difficulties of filial love, and to the enchantment of embracing a life of the mind." -- The New Yorker "An amazing story, and truly inspiring. It's even better than you've heard." --Bill Gates "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times Book Review "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . out of four." -- USA Today "[ Educated ] left me speechless with wonder. [Westover's] lyrical prose is mesmerizing, as is her personal story, growing up in a family in which girls were supposed to aspire only to become wives--and in which coveting an education was considered sinful. Her journey will surprise and inspire men and women alike." -- Refinery29 "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday, "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Beautiful and propulsive . . . Despite its harrowing plot, [Tara] Westover's book is no misery memoir. . . . Her voice is so sui generis it feels in debt to no one. . . . And despite the singularity of her 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?" -- Vogue "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times Book Review "Westover is a keen and honest guide to the difficulties of filial love, and to the enchantment of embracing a life of the mind." -- The New Yorker "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, [Tara] Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing. . . . By the end, Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others." -- The New York Times Book Review "Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . out of four." -- USA Today "[ Educated ] left me speechless with wonder. [Westover's] lyrical prose is mesmerizing, as is her personal story, growing up in a family in which girls were supposed to aspire only to become wives--and in which coveting an education was considered sinful. Her journey will surprise and inspire men and women alike." -- Refinery29 "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "Incredibly thought-provoking . . . so much more than a memoir about a woman who graduated college without a formal education. It is about a woman who must learn how to learn." -- The Harvard Crimson "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday, "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Beautiful and propulsive . . . [Tara Westover's] voice is so sui generis it feels in debt to no one. . . . And despite the singularity of her 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?" -- Vogue "An amazing story, and truly inspiring. The kind of book everyone will enjoy. It's even better than you've heard." --Bill Gates "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times Book Review "Westover is a keen and honest guide to the difficulties of filial love, and to the enchantment of embracing a life of the mind." -- The New Yorker "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, [Tara] Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing. . . . By the end, Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others." -- The New York Times Book Review "Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . out of four." -- USA Today "[ Educated ] left me speechless with wonder. [Westover's] lyrical prose is mesmerizing, as is her personal story, growing up in a family in which girls were supposed to aspire only to become wives--and in which coveting an education was considered sinful. Her journey will surprise and inspire men and women alike." -- Refinery29 "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "Incredibly thought-provoking . . . so much more than a memoir about a woman who graduated college without a formal education. It is about a woman who must learn how to learn." -- The Harvard Crimson "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday, Advance praise for Educated "Powerful, moving, brave in its revelation of profound humiliations naked and completely at home in its form." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter." --Claire Dederer, New York Times bestselling author of Love and Trouble, "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing." -- The New York Times Book Review "Westover is a keen and honest guide to the difficulties of filial love, and to the enchantment of embracing a life of the mind." -- The New Yorker "An amazing story, and truly inspiring. It's even better than you've heard." --Bill Gates "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times Book Review "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . out of four." -- USA Today "[ Educated ] left me speechless with wonder. [Westover's] lyrical prose is mesmerizing, as is her personal story, growing up in a family in which girls were supposed to aspire only to become wives--and in which coveting an education was considered sinful. Her journey will surprise and inspire men and women alike." -- Refinery29 "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "Incredibly thought-provoking . . . so much more than a memoir about a woman who graduated college without a formal education. It is about a woman who must learn how to learn." -- The Harvard Crimson "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday, " Educated shines a light on a part of our country that we too often overlook. Tara Westover's powerful tale--of trying to find a place for herself in the world, without losing her connection to her family or her beloved home--deserves to be widely read. My Mamaw would have been rooting for Tara." --J. D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy "This remarkable memoir--one of the best I've ever read--is my kind of miracle. The book made me cringe, cry out, cover my eyes, shake with anger, beam with pride, and appreciate the trials that led to my own education. Tara Westover's story will find a place alongside modern classic memoirs like Wild and The Glass Castle . It's that special." --Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire "Breathtaking, heart-wrenching, inspirational--I've never read anything like this. Educated is one of the best books, and Westover one of the most gifted writers, that I've read in a very long time." --Amy Chua, Yale law professor and author of Political Tribes and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter . . . Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble " Educated is a wise and deep reflection about surviving one's family. This is memoir at its best." --Kelly Corrigan, author of The Middle Place "Marvelous . . . There is no feeling like discovering a young writer springing up fully armed with so much talent." --Stephen Fry "An unflinching account of love and brutality, of the strength of blood ties and the power of imagination, and of a young woman whose intellect, self-knowledge, and courage illuminate every page . . . There are passages so painfully vivid that they sear themselves into the memory." --Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent "Powerful, moving, brave, naked, and completely at home in its form. This is a daughter's story of how she grew into herself and came to understand her home." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere but Here "A memoir that is fit to stand alongside classics by the likes of Jeanette Winterson and Lorna Sage . . . a compelling and ultimately joyous account of self-determination." -- The Sunday Times (UK) "One of the best, most absorbing memoirs I've ever read." -- Stylist "Fiercely intelligent . . . a fascinating and compassionate view of another world." -- The Pool "An inspiring and important tale for our times." --Rebecca Stott, author of In the Days of Rain "Unflinching in confronting the cost of self-preservation, this book is beautiful in its bravery." --Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock "A striking story, beautifully told. Tara Westover is an incredible talent." --Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love, "Powerful, moving, brave in its revelation of profound humiliations, naked and completely at home in its form, Tara Westover's Educated gives us homegrown American originals who find their Mormon congregation too conventional and raise their children on a western mountain, refusing them birth certificates and not allowing them to attend school. This is a daughter's story of how she grew into herself and came to understand her home. This book would be far less harrowing if it were a novel." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary western landscape of her coming of age and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt growing up among fanatics. We give ourselves over to her telling, even when she takes us to the very darkest places a family can dwell. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed. I loved this book, and this woman." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble, "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Propulsive . . . Despite the singularity of her 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?" -- Vogue "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times "Living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable . . . a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life." -- USA Today "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, [Tara] Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing. . . . By the end, Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others." -- The New York Times Book Review "Incredibly thought-provoking . . . so much more than a memoir about a woman who graduated college without a formal education. It is about a woman who must learn how to learn." -- The Harvard Crimson "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Westover's extraordinary memoir is haunting in the best way, delivering a powerful coming-of-age saga." -- Paste "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday "This gripping coming-of-age story shows a woman's world being opened through education." --Refinery29 "Raw and unflinching . . . lyrical and literary." -- Library Journal "An astonishing account of deprivation, confusion, survival, and success." -- Kirkus Reviews "At its heart, her memoir is a family history: not just a tale of overcoming but an uncertain elegy to the life that she ultimately rejected. Westover manages both tenderness and a savage honesty that spares no one, not even herself." -- Booklist, "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing." -- The New York Times Book Review "Westover is a keen and honest guide to the difficulties of filial love, and to the enchantment of embracing a life of the mind." -- The New Yorker "An amazing story, and truly inspiring. The kind of book everyone will enjoy. It's even better than you've heard." --Bill Gates "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times Book Review "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . out of four." -- USA Today "[ Educated ] left me speechless with wonder. [Westover's] lyrical prose is mesmerizing, as is her personal story, growing up in a family in which girls were supposed to aspire only to become wives--and in which coveting an education was considered sinful. Her journey will surprise and inspire men and women alike." -- Refinery29 "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "Incredibly thought-provoking . . . so much more than a memoir about a woman who graduated college without a formal education. It is about a woman who must learn how to learn." -- The Harvard Crimson "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday, "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, [Tara] Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing. . . . By the end, Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others." -- The New York Times Book Review "Living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable . . . a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life." -- USA Today "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Incredibly thought-provoking . . . so much more than a memoir about a woman who graduated college without a formal education. It is about a woman who must learn how to learn." -- The Harvard Crimson "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times "Propulsive . . . Despite the singularity of her 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?" -- Vogue "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Westover's extraordinary memoir is haunting in the best way, delivering a powerful coming-of-age saga." -- Paste "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday "This gripping coming-of-age story shows a woman's world being opened through education." --Refinery29 "Raw and unflinching . . . lyrical and literary." -- Library Journal "An astonishing account of deprivation, confusion, survival, and success." -- Kirkus Reviews "At its heart, her memoir is a family history: not just a tale of overcoming but an uncertain elegy to the life that she ultimately rejected. Westover manages both tenderness and a savage honesty that spares no one, not even herself." -- Booklist, "Powerful, moving, brave, naked and completely at home in its form, Tara Westover's Educated gives us homegrown American originals, who find their Mormon congregation too conventional, and raise their children on a western mountain, refusing them birth certificates and not allowing them to attend school. This is a daughter's story of how she grew into herself and comes to understand her home. This book would be far less harrowing if it were a novel." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary western landscape of her coming of age and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt growing up among fanatics. We give ourselves over to her telling, even when she takes us to the very darkest places a family can dwell. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed. I loved this book, and this woman." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble, "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Beautiful and propulsive . . . Despite its harrowing plot, [Tara] Westover's book is no misery memoir. . . . Her voice is so sui generis it feels in debt to no one. . . . And despite the singularity of her 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?" -- Vogue "An amazing story, and truly inspiring. The kind of book everyone will enjoy. It's even better than you've heard." --Bill Gates "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times Book Review "Westover is a keen and honest guide to the difficulties of filial love, and to the enchantment of embracing a life of the mind." -- The New Yorker "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, [Tara] Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing. . . . By the end, Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others." -- The New York Times Book Review "Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . out of four." -- USA Today "[ Educated ] left me speechless with wonder. [Westover's] lyrical prose is mesmerizing, as is her personal story, growing up in a family in which girls were supposed to aspire only to become wives--and in which coveting an education was considered sinful. Her journey will surprise and inspire men and women alike." -- Refinery29 "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "Incredibly thought-provoking . . . so much more than a memoir about a woman who graduated college without a formal education. It is about a woman who must learn how to learn." -- The Harvard Crimson "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday, "If [J. D.] Vance's memoir offered street-heroin-grade drama, Westover's is carfentanil, the stuff that tranquilizes elephants. The extremity of Westover's upbringing emerges gradually through her telling, which only makes the telling more alluring and harrowing." -- The New York Times Book Review "Westover is a keen and honest guide to the difficulties of filial love, and to the enchantment of embracing a life of the mind." -- The New Yorker "An amazing story, and truly inspiring. It's even better than you've heard." --Bill Gates "Heart-wrenching . . . a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives." --Amy Chua, The New York Times Book Review "A coming-of-age memoir reminiscent of The Glass Castle." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Westover's one-of-a-kind memoir is about the shaping of a mind. . . . In briskly paced prose, she evokes a childhood that completely defined her. Yet it was also, she gradually sensed, deforming her." -- The Atlantic "Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . out of four." -- USA Today "[ Educated ] left me speechless with wonder. [Westover's] lyrical prose is mesmerizing, as is her personal story, growing up in a family in which girls were supposed to aspire only to become wives--and in which coveting an education was considered sinful. Her journey will surprise and inspire men and women alike." -- Refinery29 "Riveting . . . Westover brings readers deep into this world, a milieu usually hidden from outsiders. . . . Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests." --The Economist "A subtle, nuanced study of how dysfunction of any kind can be normalized even within the most conventional family structure, and of the damage such containment can do." -- Financial Times "Whether narrating scenes of fury and violence or evoking rural landscapes or tortured self-analysis, Westover writes with uncommon intelligence and grace. . . . One of the most improbable and fascinating journeys I've read in recent years." --Newsday, "This remarkable memoir--one of the best I've ever read--is my kind of miracle. The book made me cringe, cry out, cover my eyes, shake with anger, beam with pride, and appreciate the trials that led to my own education. Tara Westover's story will find a place alongside modern classic memoirs like Wild and The Glass Castle . It's that special." --Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire "Breathtaking, heart-wrenching, inspirational--I've never read anything like this. Educated tells the story of a young girl's escape from violence and emotional prison. It is about the love of family and the pain of family both, the ferocity of the human spirit, and the power of education to change lives. Educated is one of the best books, and Westover one of the most gifted writers, that I've read in a very long time." --Amy Chua, Yale law professor and author of Political Tribes and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother "A punch to the gut, a slow burn, a savage indictment, a love letter: Educated somehow contrives to be all these things at once. Tara Westover guides us through the extraordinary Western landscape of her coming of age, and in clear, tender prose makes us feel what she felt, growing up among fanatics. We give ourselves over to her telling, even when she takes us to the very darkest places a family can dwell. Rarely have I read a book that made me so uncomfortable, so enraged, and at the same time so utterly, entirely absorbed. I loved this book, and this woman." --Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble "Like The Glass Castle, Educated is a wise and deep reflection about surviving one's family. I bow down to Tara Westover, not only for her marvelous, sentence-by-sentence craftsmanship but also for making sense and meaning from a confounding and hair-raising childhood. This is memoir at its best." --Kelly Corrigan, author of The Middle Place "Tara is marvelous. There is no feeling like discovering a young writer springing up fully armed with so much talent." --Stephen Fry "Powerful, moving, brave, naked, and completely at home in its form, Tara Westover's Educated gives us homegrown American originals who find their Mormon congregation too conventional and raise their children on a western mountain, refusing them birth certificates and not allowing them to attend school. This is a daughter's story of how she grew into herself and came to understand her home. This book would be far less harrowing if it were a novel." --Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere but Here
