Tara Westover had never stepped foot in a desk-and-chair classroom until she turned 17. Neither had she received her birth certificate until she turned nine. When other sick children are rushed by their parents to the hospital, Tara had never been sent to a government institution, not for broken arms or tuberculosis. When most kids her age wake up in the mornings to an eight-hour day at school, Tara spends her days in the junkyard, gathering scraps and metals and operating dangerous machines for her father.

There are many famous groups of religious fundamentalists in the world, who isolate themselves from society and choose to sustain themselves without outside help. When we talk about survivalists, we often mock these people for being heretics, or for not being good enough to operate in society. People do not expect those who grow in this kind of environment to blossom and succeed, not in the traditional way, at least. But Tara Westover did. In her memoir, “Educated,” Westover ruminates her experience growing up in a Mormon fundamentalist household and her eventual escape to Brigham Young, Harvard, and Cambridge University to become a professor of history.

Tara Westover was born to a Mormon fundamentalist family in Idaho. Her father was suspicious of public schools, hospitals, and any governmental institution. Her mother, Faye, is a spiritual “healer” who creates herbs and tinctures to heal head injuries from car crashes and burns from gasoline instead of sending her family to the hospital. She is subservient to her husband, Gene, who is a religious fanatic who constantly hoards ammunition, food, and guns for the coming “Day of Abomination.” Tara was homeschooled by her mother, which really means sitting in the basement and reading an outdated science book aimed for primary school students. And although Tara’s parents did not believe in public education, they did believe in the sinfulness of dairy products. “Isaiah doesn’t say which is evil, butter or honey,” Tara’s father, Gene, declares. “But if you ask, the Lord will tell you!”

This book largely focuses on Tara’s relationship with her family and how they affect her choices. Tara, who has never received a formal education, wishes to go to college and pursue her education, but she cannot do so without disappointing her parents, who believe that the government is intent on brainwashing her and anyone who lives in broader society. Her family also intentionally overlooks brutality that occurs between her and her sibling, Shawn, which further dislocates and weakens Tara's ties with her family and faith. To her parents, any unfortunate event that befalls the family happens under the will of the lord, and Tara is angered at her parents' ignorance and apathy toward her emotions. Although this story is extraordinary and Westover's past distinct from many memoirs in the market, the struggle between appeasing whom you want to impress and being who you are is a common theme across stories in all time.

Nothing is perfect; neither is this book. "Educated" is tarnished by the number of loose ends and the lack of focus. Many characters in the story are briefly mentioned but never fully developed. However, this may just be one of the struggles with writing a memoir, as there are just too many people who affect one's life and too little pages in a book.

"Educated" is recommended to anyone who is looking for a fresh voice and a unique story. Readers will be encouraged to open their eyes and appreciate everything they have been given after finishing this memoir, but they will also connect deeply with some struggles that the author goes through. This memoir has the potential to raise tremendous social commentary on the way people behave and how we treat these issues--if only it was more concisely articulated.