Educated: A Memoir

An exceptional memoir about the hard path of escaping a religiously-fanatic, isolated upbringing by a violent and mentally unstable family. Tara's family is ruled by her biopolar Mormon survivalist father, who forbids his children to go to school, avoids the government, and shuns all modern forms of medicine. The upbringing for her and her 6 siblings is wild and dangerous and full of scary injuries. In addition Tara has to fight all the religious, misogynistic rules of what Mormon women are allowed to wear, to do, to think. Her wish to acquire an education despite all odds, becomes the vehicle that allows her to escape the emotionally and physically abusive home.

She writes this memoir with a history PhD in her pocket, and I found it fascinating how she comments on the complications of writing (her family's) history due to the existence of multiple conflicting voices. At times she also questions her own memories, as her family progressively attempts to gaslight her and downplay the cruelties that happened.

There are a lot of disturbing moments in Tara's life story, yet she manages to convey them with a lyrical voice and a deep longing for the good in her family. I found her relationship to her mother especially devastating. There's a moment where they almost find a common branch, of bonding together against the violent bullying of her brother, and then it hurts so much more when it all falls apart.

What a gripping real life story. With real people, you can google on the internet. Very curious how the family, their neighbors and the larger Mormon community is reacting to the popularity of the book and all the media attention it must bring.