Year 2, week 29: Educated

This week's book:
Educated
By Tara Westover

This is late and as always I'm sorry. This week's book is Educated by Tara Westover, and it is a book for my book group. I found an audio copy of it at our local library. I actually found another of the books for group on audio book as well, but due to that I have a hard copy of the other book I started with Educated just in case I didn't have time to listen to both of them before they were due back to the library. I have been having a hard time staying awake for reading during this pregnancy so audiobooks have been a lifesaver.

So because I'm in charge of book group I normally try to have a have copy of the book we are reading so I can have pass along my copy to others in the group. But when I was buying this year's batch of books, Educated was still full price and all the library copies were checked out. My sweet husband, who works for C-SPAN, told me the author was the top viewed program on their show Book TV. I was told by everyone who has read the book that it was just amazing. So I wasn't too worried about if I was going to enjoy the book.

Educated is the memoir of Tara Westover, a women who was raised in the hills of Utah with a survivalist father, who stopped his whole family from receiving formal education and medical help. The whole book is a series of unfortunate events that happen to this poor girl (who turns out to be actually a year younger than I am). Multiple people get seriously hurt and yet they never die and rarely go to the hospital. The author gets abused in every way possible (minus sexually, and I was seriously shocked it doesn't happen to be completely honest with you). She finally escapes her family to go to college at the age of sixteen. Somehow, without knowing how to study or have really any social or normal behavior, she graduates and gets a full ride to grad school. She goes home for all holidays and summer break, and every time horrible things happen. If I didn't know this was a true story I would find it highly unbelievable. While the book was well written and thought provoking, and I am so glad the author was able to get out of mountain life, I just wanted the book to end for most of it. I have just read too many pulled myself up from a horrible situation type of books in my life.

Read the book if you want, it's fine, just not my cup of tea.