Educated by Tara Westover: Awe-inspiring

 

Educated is a brilliant memoir. Most parts of the book are set in Idaho where Tara grows up in a family of Mormon fundamentalists. Her narration is simple yet sumptuous. 

I was experiencing nostalgia for the life I'd had before, which I would lose at any second..

The book evokes similar nostalgia leaving the reader to wonder how life would be, away from Tara's world. The very first page is bewitching pulling the reader into the world of the author: the valley, mountain, thistles, wheat field and the soaring wind. It's all in the descriptive narration that triggers visualisation. We begin to look at the world from little Tara's eyes: her mother's midwifery, her father's beliefs against the government in Idaho, her family and her dreams. 

The narration is so elegant and the stories about Tara and her family so intriguing that we get into a zone of wanting to know more. We begin to feel like guests at her home. As she grows, the experience is akin to seeing our own child grow. Having been homeschooled, she works her way to university; her journey is inspiring.  It's not just the transition from homeschooling, but the difficult times and hardships that make her memoir awe-inspiring. As we reach 3/4th of the book, things start seeming familiar: a sense of familiarity dawns upon us that makes us wonder if the second half would be as gripping as the first half. It doesn't fail to inspire. Part III of the book is moving. She explains why she names her memoir, Educated. At that one moment, her whole transformation comes in front of our eyes and we agree with every word. It's a book to re-read and a great one to listen to, as well. I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook. I must say that it was a heartening experience. 

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