Remembering Gene's and Shawn's abuse towards her, results in Westover terminating her relationship with Charles. Later, Westover reconnects with Charles, but is unable to act romantically towards him because of her conservative upbringing. Additionally, her alienation from the outside world and lack of formal schooling become issues. The pressure of maintaining her grades in order to keep her scholarship results in Westover feeling stressed.

Sometime later, Westover studies at the University of Cambridge and receives scholarships that allow her to continue attending. Shawn reconciles with her after standing up to Gene on her behalf. Westover is later admitted to BYU under a scholarship. Another of Westover's brothers, Tyler, learns of the abuse and encourages her to leave home and take the ACT to be able to apply to Brigham Young University (BYU). Her brother Shawn initially helps her and the two grow closer but he starts physically abusing her as she befriends Charles, a boy she meets while performing in theater. Gene denies Westover's attempts to seek normality in her life. Faye consequently homeschools the Westover children. Gene was paranoid about hospitals, public education, and the government, partially due to the siege at Ruby Ridge. Westover is raised in isolation in Buck's Peak, Idaho by her parents, pseudonymously referred to as Gene and Faye Westover respectively.

It won a 2019 Alex Award and was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, PEN America's Jean Stein Book Award, and two awards from the National Book Critics Circle Award.

She explores her struggle to reconcile her desire to learn with the world she inhabited with her father.Īs of the September 13, 2020, issue of The New York Times, the book had spent 132 consecutive weeks on the Hardcover Non-Fiction Best Seller list. She started college at the age of 17 having had no formal education. She details her journey from her isolated life in the mountains of Idaho to completing a PhD program in history at Cambridge University. Westover recounts overcoming her survivalist Mormon family in order to go to college, and emphasizes the importance of education in enlarging her world. Educated (2018) is a memoir by the American author Tara Westover.

Educated by Tara Westover