I decided to put this one last of our four books because it's SO popular right now and you'll need all the extra time to get it on hold at your library! Like I've been doing the last couple of times, I am posting the next few months (June -September) all at once, so we can all get these books on hold at our libraries in time. The book we will be reading for September 2019 is Educated by Tara Westover. Please label spoilers or even type them in white like I just did right here(highlight that blank space) so that a person has to highlight it to read it.
I read 3 books over my 10 days at the lake- this was one of them! I found it really interesting- as we live in Eastern WA- super close to the Idaho border, so I could relate well with the setting & places she called home! It reminded me a lot of Glass Castle with such a dysfunctional upbringing. I liked it & read it fast! Spoiler maybe? HERE: It just goes to show how some people can do anything they want with their life if they are motivated enough! END
Educated - I read this last year for my IRL bookclub. Like @amien1, it reminded me of The Glass Castle. ***This was one of the few books I've read where I had a visceral, verbal response to parts of the story. I'll always wonder how the writing would have been if she'd given more time and written it later in life.***
I wondered that too Sarah... I think she's still in the middle of dealing with the implications of her early life and that I would have liked this better if she wrote it in another 10 years at least!
I took it with a grain of salt and the researcher in me did some digging....can't wait to discuss it!
I've got this on hold at both of my local digital libraries but probably will take at least 3 wks or longer to be available. I don't mind waiting. The convenience of getting digi books for my phone and the fact that it doesn't cost me anything makes the wait worthwhile. I can't wait to read this.
My book club did this book and the leader of that book club posted some interviews with the author. I definitely had questions after I read this... I was a bit skeptical about parts of her story, but it was fascinating to read about, especially about her whack-a-doodle father. I didn't quite know what to think when she'd posted footnotes about how her recollection of certain major events differed from her siblings, but I guess I liked how she handled it by noting how they remembered things. It showed the different perspectives for sure. Here are a couple of the interviews if anyone is interested:
I finished this book last week - a bit different than what I thought it would be. I find her fascinating and found her believable. Far more a study of mental illness than education I think... *** My thoughts - very disturbing book, her brother's treatment of her and of women and the general acceptance of his behaviour by some of her family members screams alarm bells for domestic violence. The fact that she kept diaries during this time and justifies her brother's actions is classic victim mentality. I might be wrong but at no stage did Tara name it as such so I think that is where a few more years reflection may be helpful. Also extreme religious beliefs can be equally harmful esp when combined with a very narrow education, the aspect of critical thinking is absent and that is hard to overcome. I had to remind myself that most of this has happened in the last 20 years, not in the 50's/60's. When she asked a male friend at uni about ambitious women and he pretty much said they were unnatural was a moment of horror for me. I know there has been criticisms of her story regarding how is it possible that 3 members of her family could get their PHD's if they were so under educated at home. I think the parents were both intellegent, but suffered from both mental illness in the fathers case and a straight out brain injury in her mother's case. The one thing they did get from their upbringing was a very strong work ethic (it was work hard or be punished - that is hard to shake off), which is vital in any higher studies - more so that pure intelligence.*** Will be interested to see any follow up when she has a bit more time distance from the events that happened.
My thoughts: >>>I'm actually really glad she wrote it now. Like others have mentioned, it is SHOCKING that she is in her 30s. Writing it now, while it's still raw, allowed her not to forget or otherwise mask what happened. It's like she finally stopped denying the physical, mental, and emotional torture (if I may use that word) she went through and as such she couldn't help but let it all out. If she had waited, I wonder if the book would feel so raw and visceral, or if it would have a more polished and removed quality, which would make it more clinical [like, she'd have just written "I was abused. The end." and the story itself would be lost. It would feel like a laundry list of "Crappy Childhood Memories" instead of a story of terror followed by triumph.]<<< ETA: Karen's quote below is in white but you can kind of read it...it doesn't really spoil the book but I'm trying to respect the spoilers! My response: >>>Funny, I thought about the flip side of this coin: How bad is the USA's public education system that three siblings from a very "non-typical" K-12 education could get PhDs? Meaning ... how well does our public education truly prepare our kids for college/post grad work? (Like the Varsity Blues scandal: why isn't anyone talking about how, yes, these kids were allegedly let in via bribes, but their grades and ACT/SAT scores "proved" they shouldn't have succeeded, yet apparently they were passing their classes! No one was sitting in on every test once they were at school. WOW, I'm on a tangent.<<<
@KarenW Totally agree with you. I read this book last week and am still having a hard time coming to grips with it. My initial reaction was 'how many sins are committed in God's name'!!! Here, sins of commission and omission. I don't recall the exact quote but the author's statement about her father (in particular I'd say) not keeping her from danger but rather pushing her into danger still shakes me. Sadly, it's not an unusual story of one or both parents denying the physical, emotional and I'd say sexual abuse she suffered at Shawn's hands. That lying on top of her with her pushed shirt up...and then accusing her of being a whore??? Aaargh. While I have no doubt the parents eventually suffered from mental illnesses, the mother's descent bothered me more than the father's - again one committed the harm and one ignored what was happening. Along with all the above, a real hot button for me was the religious stance of making sure people were righteous (emphasis on those female temptresses... ) and the expectations of what a righteous woman's role would be in life and then of course what limitations would be put on her. All to acknowledge a man's rightful place in life. When you add mental illness to such a closed religious path...well you have many like Tara, perhaps not so extreme, but still with such limited options for life. Still shaking my head at this book and this story which I believe because I've heard a local variation, from a young woman with college educated parents. I mentored this young woman (also with a B.A.) who had such a life path laid out for her at her local church & it totally shocked me considering this is not Iraq and it's not the Middle Ages. 'Find a righteous man, find a job you can do at home so you won't be exposing yourself and tempting (!!!) other men, have babies-many-and know your place.' This in Annapolis 2019.
Great observation Maureen! I also kept having to remind myself that this book was current and not written in another country or in the way-past!
I'm just about halfway thru it, started it yesterday. So glad it was recommended here b/c I don't think I would have noticed this book otherwise. I'll be back with my thoughts when I finish the book soon.
I am still upset about this book I find, as I was at Barnes etc with a friend who was buying it for someone else and I had a gut reaction... I guess that makes it quite a good book.