Educated

By Tara Westover,

Book cover of Educated: A Memoir

Book description

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Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES, IRISH EXAMINER and RED MAGAZINE

'One of the best books I have ever read . . . unbelievably moving' Elizabeth Day
'An extraordinary…

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Why read it?

27 authors picked Educated as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Westover’s memoir is a fascinating exploration of the clash between ignorance and enlightenment, with a plot twist that involves her eventually realizing she was raised in a real-life survivalist cult. Her journey from a sheltered, isolated upbringing to earning a PhD is nothing short of extraordinary.

But what really hooked me was her biting wit and the way she grapples with the contradictions of loving a family that’s as endearing as they are exasperating. It’s like watching someone untangle a lifetime’s worth of emotional knots, one revelation at a time, and somehow finding humor in the most unexpected places.

The survivalist family drama, paranoia, and isolation seemed an impossible life for Tara Westover to escape. This memoir had a suspense and thriller aspect that I loved. I could not put it down.

Her ability to stand up to her parents and an abusive older brother without means showed true grit. She is an admirable and inspirational human being. I love stories where humans overcome great adversity.  

This book shattered me open with how raw and honest the author spoke about the frequently excruciating events of her childhood. From being raised far outside the norms of society to reckoning with familial abuse as a young adult, she masterfully articulated things I, too, had experienced but, up until that point, had never been able to find the words to explain.

I felt so powerfully seen! Westover’s bravery and skill in sharing her harrowing journey–from a child stuck in survival to a grown woman strong in her own right–will forever inspire me. 

From Jessica's list on courage to tell my survivor story.

Brother. Do. You. Love. Me.

By Manni Coe, Reuben Coe (illustrator),

Book cover of Brother. Do. You. Love. Me.

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Manni's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Brother. Do. You. Love. Me. is a true story of brotherly love overcoming all. Reuben, who has Down's syndrome, was trapped in a care home during the pandemic, spiralling deeper into a non-verbal depression. From isolation and in desperation, he sent his older brother Manni a text, "brother. do. you. love. me."

This cry for help, this SOS in the sand unleashed a brotherly love that had Manni travelling back to the UK mid-pandemic to rescue his brother from the care home, and together they sheltered from the world in a cottage in deepest, darkest Dorset. There began a journey…

Brother. Do. You. Love. Me.

By Manni Coe, Reuben Coe (illustrator),

What is this book about?


The story of two brothers, one with Down syndrome, and their extraordinary journey of resilience and repair.

"Profoundly moving and hugely uplifting."—Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Reuben, aged 38, was living in a home for adults with learning disabilities. He hadn’t established an independent life in the care system and was still struggling to accept that he had Down syndrome. Depressed and in a fog of antidepressants, he hadn’t spoken for over a year. The only way he expressed himself was by writing poems or drawing felt-tip scenes from his favorite musicals…


I’m always astonished and grateful when someone who has lived through extraordinary events also has the skill to describe them brilliantly.

Tara Westover’s gorgeous writing won me over before I could even begin to appreciate the strange, dangerous, and ever-shifting terrain of her childhood. Her descriptions of growing up in a fundamentalist, survivalist home with no formal education, and no official record of her existence, never stopped surprising me as I gobbled up the pages.

I was amazed and inspired by her determination to forge her own path as an adult and to see the world for herself rather than…

From Genevieve's list on young women on journeys of self-discovery.

I was deeply moved by Tara’s experience of emerging from the oppressive environment of being raised in a fundamentalist, anti-government, anti-education compound in the mountains of Idaho. Against all odds, Tara overcomes countless obstacles, ultimately achieving her PhD from Cambridge University.

Her indomitable spirit inspired me, but it was her writing style that had the biggest impact on me. I saw how much more powerful storytelling can be when it’s understated, allowing the reader to arrive at their own conclusion. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!   

I identified with Tara Westover while reading her memoir because of her secluded and restrictive upbringing. Like her, my upbringing made me feel left out, “other,” different from normal kids, not allowed the usual activities that other kids could do and kept from learning and growing in my own way.

I didn’t understand how these rules affected me until I saw my angst in her own words of isolation, yearning, and rebellion. It gave me hope that our desire for self-fulfillment and actualization is universal and stronger than the people who try, for good reasons or bad, to keep us…

Growing up in a religious household and then coming out as a gay man, it took me several years to extricate myself from those threads of guilt that inhibited my full-blown happiness with my new identity.

Tara not only had to extricate herself from her family’s religious fervour but also from her brother’s violence, her father’s radicalism, her community’s denial. Brought up in a strict Mormon household in the mountains of Idaho, Tara didn’t have a birth certificate until she was 9. She didn’t begin her education until she was 17. She broke the chains of her family’s mindset and…

When I read it, the sense I got of the author’s feelings of being a misfit, an outcast, were palpable, and I could identify with her, regardless of the different circumstances in which we were raised. Her book is about not feeling like you fit, about feeling like you were born into the wrong family.

I was amazed when I read Westover’s book, Educated; amazed that someone could go through such a deprived and abusive childhood and, not only survive but rise above and discover herself.

I was in awe over her self-determination. Though my childhood did not, in any way, resemble hers, reading her story gave me the courage to stand up to my own fears and feel confident in who I am. She reminded me that it is possible to overcome challenging obstacles and get through the seemingly impossible.

From Debbie's list on getting through life’s challenges.

What is the importance of an education in freeing your mind from the shackles of oppression? In this poignant memoir, the author describes her close ties to family and how those ties repressed her freedom to observe and interpret the world around her.

Born in a male-dominated hierarchy and controlled by strong religious beliefs, it was dictated to her what to do and believe. When she tried to think for herself, her relationships with family members became toxic. A weaker mind would have succumbed to the pressure and accepted the situation. However, an incredible urge to learn and grow moved…

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