The path from the mountains of Idaho, part of a family of survivalists, to the halls of Cambridge University is one many would label as impossible to travel. Having no formal education, instead working in her father’s junkyard and with her herbalist mother throughout her childhood, Tara Westover taught herself just enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. Her subsequent quest for an education led her further from her home than she could have imagined and allowed her to question her upbringing and life in a way that she never had before. In her memoir, Educated, Westover recounts her unorthodox upbringing, adjustment to mainstream society, and the aftermath of straying so far from the mountain she grew up on, and everything she thought she knew.
Since reading this book, Westover has become a role model for me, as her life story, which at some points borders on unbelievable, is testament to what can be achieved through resilience and determination.
Reviewed By: Abbie Oakes, Website Administrator, Women in Tech forum
May 2021