"It's strange how you give the people you love so much power over you" – Tara Westover

Summary of Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Tara Westover's upbringing makes her an atypical PhD candidate. Her parents were survivalist Mormons who did not enroll their children in the formal education system. When she decided to enroll in school as a teenager she faced many challenges both from her family and in learning to adjust. She was fortunate enough to have professors over the years who believed in her and encouraged her to apply for various grants and scholarships. Her educational journey and discovery led her to an appreciation of how education can expand an individual's worldview.

What to take from this book?

Gaining an education can be a huge part of helping a person define themselves and where they fit in the world. By only having one teacher, the person's worldview becomes limited by just what that teacher knows. That is the main danger of home-schooling. A comprehensive education is beneficial to the individual and also to society.

Who is this book for?

Anyone with an appreciation for learning. The author also covers some personal family dynamics and tension that shaped her life.

The major themes will have you reflecting on:

• How religion can shape an individual and their thought processes.


• The impact that growing up in a patriarchal environment can have on one's education.


• The value of home-schooling.


• The value of a comprehensive education that is not limited by a single individual's worldview.

Added-value of this summary: 1) getting an overview of the events and thought processes leading to the educational journey; 2) understanding how gaining an education can change one's life; 3) saving time.

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Disclaimer: This comprehensive summary is based on Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover and does not share any affiliation with the author or original work in any way or form. The summary does not utilize any text from the original work. We want our readers to use this summary as a study companion to the original book, and not as a substitute.