Educated by Tara Westover (audiobook)

genre: memoir

Tara grew up on a mountainside in Idaho, the seventh child of two survivalist, extremist "Mormon" parents.  I have to put "Mormon" in quotes because as a Mormon myself, I know that many of her parent's beliefs are not in harmony with actual church doctrine.  Regardless, Tara's parents opted out of all public programs - be it insurance, medical care or, most particularly in this story, public education.  Believing that the end of times was near, a religious education and the value of hard physical labor were the priorities for Tara's parents, most particularly her father.   When Tara finally manages to get herself into a true classroom, the depth of her ignorance astounds her.   Having been raised in an abusive, manipulative, patriarchal environment, Tara's "education" is going to require a lot more than learning how to do trig or writing an essay.  She's going to have to learn how to think for herself.

This was fascinating. I know that as a memoir I need to take every thing I read with a bit of a gain of salt, however, even if it WASN'T 100% true, this is an incredibly well-written story of a girl who manages to escape a toxic family environment and discover what life really has in store for her on her own terms.  I believed her pain.  I believed her struggle. I hurt for her and was astonished by some of the things she lived through - especially the medical emergencies in a family that actively opposed formal medical care.  It blew my mind.  The abuse and gaslighting made me feel sick, to think about someone truly living this kind of life.  The writing is rich and poignant, she set me firmly in her experience and, especially in the terrifying bits, I was lost to the world around me as I listened.  I've got a lot of respect for Tara speaking out and standing up.  Great book.