“Educated Tara Westover” Book Summary + Lessons + Inspiring Quotes

“Educated,” written by Tara Westover, is one of the best books in which the author mentions the struggle of a young girl who suffers a lot from violence and prison. The detail of her journey from the mountains to Cambridge University is beautifully explained in the story. 

“Educated” Book Summary

“Educated” is a compelling memoir by Tara Westover that chronicles her remarkable journey from a childhood in rural Idaho, where she was raised by strict and survivalist parents, to her pursuit of education against all odds. The book explores themes of resilience, the transformative power of education, and the complexities of family ties.

Westover’s upbringing was unconventional, marked by a lack of formal education and limited exposure to the outside world. However, her determination and thirst for knowledge led her to teach herself to read and eventually to seek higher education.

“Educated” vividly portrays Westover’s struggles to break free from her family’s restrictive beliefs and gain acceptance into prestigious institutions like Harvard and Cambridge. Her education became a catalyst for personal growth and self-discovery, but it also strained her relationships with her family.

The memoir is a testament to the importance of education in shaping one’s life and worldview. It highlights the challenges of overcoming a turbulent past and the power of knowledge in forging one’s path to success and independence.

“Educated” has resonated with readers worldwide for its compelling narrative and its message about the transformative nature of education. It encourages reflection on the value of learning and the strength required to chart one’s own course in life.

Lessons Learned From “Educated”

“Educated” by Tara Westover is a powerful memoir that explores the pursuit of education and self-discovery against incredible odds. It imparts several important lessons:

  1. The Power of Education: The book underscores the transformative power of education and how it can change one’s life trajectory.
  2. Resilience and Determination: Tara’s story highlights the importance of resilience and determination in overcoming adversity and achieving one’s goals.
  3. Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs: “Educated” illustrates how individuals can break free from the limiting beliefs imposed by their upbringing and choose their own path.
  4. Self-Reliance: The memoir promotes self-reliance and the idea that individuals can take control of their own education and destiny.
  5. The Impact of Family: It explores the complex dynamics of family relationships and how they can shape one’s identity and choices.
  6. Questioning Authority: Tara’s journey involves questioning authority and challenging established norms and beliefs.
  7. The Pursuit of Knowledge: “Educated” celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the importance of curiosity and intellectual growth.
  8. Mental Health and Self-Care: The book touches on the importance of mental health and self-care, especially in the context of overcoming traumatic experiences.
  9. The Role of Mentors: Tara’s encounters with mentors and supportive individuals highlight the impact of positive role models in one’s life.
  10. The Price of Freedom: “Educated” explores the sacrifices and trade-offs involved in pursuing freedom and education.
  11. Respect for Differences: The memoir encourages respect for differences in beliefs and backgrounds, even when they challenge one’s own.
  12. The Journey of Self-Discovery: Tara’s journey is a testament to the ongoing process of self-discovery and growth.

“Educated” is a remarkable memoir that speaks to the power of education, resilience, and self-determination. Its lessons inspire readers to pursue their own paths of self-discovery, education, and personal growth, even in the face of daunting obstacles.

Educated Tara Westover Quotes

– Sometimes, you say goodbye to those whom you love the most. 

– You will be happy that a person is not in your life anymore and still missing the person simultaneously.

– Sometimes, others narrate your life to you. 

– Your voice can be strong, forceful, and absolute like theirs. 

– It is somehow not obvious to you when you have a mental breakdown, no matter how obvious it is to you. 

– You will feel strange when you give your control to the people you love the most. 

– We are assigned some roles in the stories, but we are more complicated in real life than in the stories. 

– The years you struggle with your studies, all is to purchase the privilege to yourself. 

– The decisions she made changed after a moment, which isn’t the same as the previous decision. 

– The ability to think of things besides money is the most powerful advantage of money that anyone can make.

The patience to read things that you could not understand is the skill you have been learning, which is crucial.

– Whatever you become or try to be is the real you, and you were always the same. 

– The luxury of financial security is curiosity. 

– To believe in you despite weakness and powerlessness is to admit uncertainty. 

– The conviction to not live in someone’s mind instead of your mind is frailty. 

– The fear of one’s wretchedness is guilt and has nothing to do with other people. 

– Education is important to make a person, not make a living. 

– Sometimes praise is poison, and people choke on it, and hardly anyone can tolerate it. 

– If you don’t understand a conflict, never be a foot soldier again. 

– All you have to do is to swap your memories with theirs. 

– Always think before you answer in every situation. 

– The questions her book poses are universal despite the singularity of her childhood. 

– Nobody knows where the madness lies when life itself seems lunatic. 

– There is one child in the family whose rhythm remains off and whose meter is set to the wrong tune. 

Educated Tara Westover Quotes

– Nothing final can be known of nature if women. 

– Sometimes, it is bestowed and not inherited. 

– The heart of self-creation is the ability to evaluate many ideas, many histories, and many points of view in our life. 

– You could lose custody of your mind if you yield now. 

– Some part of me will always believe in me. 

– One never realizes an emotion in things in the past, so the past is always beautiful.

– The mountains teach us a sense of sovereignty. 

– We lend our voice to a discourse that has only one purpose of dehumanizing and brutalizing others. 

– Sometimes, misunderstanding the vital truth doesn’t affect you, and that’s the effect. 

– The person will always remain limited about their past regardless of what people say to them. 

– To produce a single event, one must make choices that will help combine them to produce the event. 

– The person inside you is the most powerful determinant of who you are. 

– The self-mastery rule by self is positive liberty that one can have; to have it, one should have control of his mind. 

– What happened that night is hard to understand, and it will take many years to understand it. 

– Sometimes, you realize the magic of the words lately. 

– The future has weight, and the past is the ghost.

– Nobody is fool’s gold that is shining under a particular light. 

– You cannot subdue guilt by any amount of anger or rage.

– In the fact of being self, there is something impure. 

– The word contemplative best suits journaling, and I don’t want to do it. 

– I would lose him if I wouldn’t remain a child in perpetuity.

– Sometimes, the question narrows when the research continues.

– Sometimes, I believe in anything, and it isn’t easy to understand why I used to do that. 

– My words didn’t come out as words as I was so suffocated in the rage. 

– To read things without a proper understanding requires an enormous amount of patience. 

– If you don’t have any idea, then don’t participate in a fight, and it’s better for you. 

– To make yourself independent, life at the top of the mountains. 

– It is very unfortunate when your childhood is filled with real-life nightmares. 

– It is very hard to remain confident in your decision as people are not supportive. 

– To escape from a thing, you don’t require leaving that particular thing. 

– You can stop thinking about money when you have plenty of it, and that is the best thing. 

– Sometimes, the effect lies in the lack of effect. 

– All you can do is remain loyal to a person from a distance. 

– When you are a child, you wait for your mind to grow. 

– Sometimes, loneliness is the best way to benefit us. 

– You trap people in your views and limit their perception when you abuse someone. 

– The presence of self-love is also forgiveness and then actually values you. 

– I set foot in Cambridge and became educated is the story of how I lost my family. 

– You can teach yourself better than anyone in the world. 

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