Summary

The story of an extraordinary education. From no school to Cambridge, to Harvard, to the author of an internationally bestselling memoir.

Tara Westover never went to school because her father did not believe in government establishments. She never stepped inside a hospital because her father didn’t believe in them either. Although every member of her family, including Tara, went through a near-death accident at different times in life, they never saw a hospital. Heck, there wasn’t even a record of her birth, because she had been born at home and never registered. She had three birthdates because no one remembered the exact day she was born on.

Youngest of seven kids, four of her siblings stayed in the mountain she was born in without even high school diplomas, while the remaining three of them including Tara went on to get doctorates and move away from their birthplace.

My Review

But the journey to this Doctorate was like going to the moon for Tara. And it is this remarkable journey that we get to read about in the book. You’d say what’s so unique about this journey many have had humble beginnings and went on to do great things. But how many did it while their parents believed they were meant to stay at home, meant to help at home, what they achieved was not acceptable to God, was a sin, was an abomination.

What if I told you - you had to achieve the best while your elder brother turned violent towards you, broke your wrists, pulled your hair till you complied with his demands, and threatened you with murder if you spoke about him to anyone.

What if I told you that when you confronted your parents about this fact they would disinherit you from the family and tell your other family members to break ties with you because the devil had got hold of you?

How can a mother and father be like this to their child? How can a father ask his daughter, his flesh and blood to step in front of shears while scraping junk in a yard, how can he ask Tara to jump into the dumpster while its dumps tons of scrap metal? What father does that? And despite this Tara achieved the best. But this upbringing did take a toll on her mind, her future, and her relationships, but she learned to stand back up after every fall.

Final verdict

She refused to be the child her father raised and transformed herself. She calls this transformation her Education. A must-read. Add this to your book to read in a lifetime list.