Tara Westover
I first heard about this book last year. A friend from school was asking me about this book she had heard about where this girl grew up on the mountains, and never went to school. She couldn't remember the name of it. After doing some research, I came up with this book. I still hadn't read it though. This week, I decided to pick it up and read it. So. Many. Emotions.
"You are not fool's gold, shining only under a particular light. Whomever you become, whatever you make yourself into, that is who you always were. It was always in you. Not in Cambridge. In you. You are gold."
4 out of 5 Stars
Tara Westover grew up as one of seven children. Her parents are extremists, keeping their children home, preparing for "the end", and refusing medical treatment. This memoir is Tara's retelling of her life as she recalls it, from childhood through obtaining her PhD. Far from your typical upbringing, you will find yourself having a hard time putting yourself in Tara's shoes.
Woah. What a ride. I often had to remind myself that this book is, in fact, a memoir. Not fiction. And just as hard for me to believe, this story of Tara's life takes place today. Not decades ago. In fact, she is younger than I am. The story of her perseverance through traumatic events, and pushing through when it seemed that it would take a miracle is incredible. There are so many things happeneing throughout this book that don't even seem possible. No formal education until self-teaching enough at age seventeen to get into BYU. Horrific injuries that are treated with homemade remedies instead of seeking immediate medical attention. A powerful story that made me really think about my own story. Your circumstances do not define you.
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