Book notes: dark memoir is stranger than fiction
In Educated, Tara Westover, the youngest of seven children, tells her story of growing up on a farm and junkyard in the shadow of Buck’s Peak in a Mormon enclave in southeast Idaho. Her mother was an unlicensed midwife and herbalist; her father was a builder of farm buildings and manager of the scrap yard. Although it is never confirmed, her domineering father most likely had bipolar disorder.
Tara’s three older brothers went to elementary school, but the four younger children did not and had no formal homeschooling. Education was limited to reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon. It was a survivalist family; they stockpiled fuel, food, and supplies. Life is difficult for Tara. Not only does her father lack empathy, her brother Shawn bullies and physically harms her.
Tara realizes her only salvation is to follow in the footsteps of her older brothers and seek higher education. She studies hard and scores high enough on the ACT to be accepted at Brigham Young University. Tara excels at BYU, wins scholarships, and receives a fellowship to study at Cambridge University, where she eventually earns a Ph.D. in history.
The memoir delves into the family relationships and the many physical injuries experienced by various members of the family. Because the father does not believe in modern medicine, the mother’s herbal preparations are the sole treatment for most injuries.
Tara is torn as she tries to decide whether to stay connected to her family despite their lack of acceptance of the truth about family happenings, or whether she should free herself from what she perceives as their failure.
Most Book Club members liked the book, although a few thought the stories were too dark. One said, “It was stranger than fiction!”
— Mariah Snyder, Book Club member
Book Club to discuss Educated: A Memoir
Fri, Mar 15 2019, 2pm
Mariah Snyder will lead a discussion of Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover when the UMRA Book Club meets on Friday, March 15, at 1666 Coffman in Falcon Heights. For more information, contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected].
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.