Educated memoir- Tara Westover

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had some difficulty with Educated, but on the whole I really liked it. I do agree that it's really about complex trauma. I also think it's possible there was sexual abuse. Clearly the abuse was more than she actually published (her hints about re-reading her own journals and how she glossed over it all made it clear it was far more pervasive than the incidents she covered). I also just felt like once she left undergrad it got a little high level and left out a lot of details Wanted to se - how she lived, how she budgeted, how it all happened.

On the other hand, I read The Glass Castle a few years ago, and I really did not like it at all. I can't remember why, now, just remember wondering why everyone loved it when I absolutely did not.

Same. I read Educated first and then Glass Castle because it was recommended as a similar story. Much preferred Educated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished it and I'd love to discuss it. Anyone?

Sure, what would you like to discuss?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished it and I'd love to discuss it. Anyone?

Sure, what would you like to discuss?

Everything.

How much is true?

I mean, her father and Sean’s accidents seem like it should have killed them. If they truly treated the injuries holistically, then heck, *i* want more information! Which backfires and completely misses the point.

I also don’t think it is that remarkable of a story. She already had the genetics to be a genius. And, she had a way out. She wasn’t forced to stay. She lost her family, but they were obviously terrible people. She got a LOT of opportunities and just had to work through her own trauma.

I don’t know. It did not blow me away.

[Anonymous]

It did not blow me away either. I think she over embellished some parts, and under reported others. I’m one of the PPs who looked up the family on Facebook. They are pretty well off with their oil business, but still seem off. Her dad did not have any noticeable scars. Shawn looks like an abuser. I think a lot of your curiousity would be satisfied once you delve into the social media. Start with Butterfly Express on FB and go from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It did not blow me away either. I think she over embellished some parts, and under reported others. I’m one of the PPs who looked up the family on Facebook. They are pretty well off with their oil business, but still seem off. Her dad did not have any noticeable scars. Shawn looks like an abuser. I think a lot of your curiousity would be satisfied once you delve into the social media. Start with Butterfly Express on FB and go from there.

What are their names?

I saw your posts and then it just confused me. Why lie? Is it just embellishment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was shocked by the health issues they left untreated and the casual cruelty of her father at the junk yard. Throwing things like sheet metal and injuring others daily? Also the moms oils are such a hoax!

Did anyone think her brother sexually abused her? The way she wrote about the physical abuse from him made me think it was really sexual abuse and she didn't want to put that in a memoir. She has a lock on her door for instance.

Absolutely she was sexually assaulted by her brother. Her sister’s remorse for not protecting her, the parents’ denial, Tara’s dissociation to survive the pain as well as her flashbacks, are all classic surrounds of sexual abuse. It is disappointing that she could not name what the book was really about. Her very high intellect and fortunate association with people who encouraged and helped her allowed her to survive and succeed, but did not erase the abuse. Her sister was not so fortunate. Although very well written, the book is really about [b]complex trauma[/b].

Agree 100%.

Me too.

It was this aspect of the book that stayed with me the most. There is not that much written on sibling abuse. Anyone have any recommendations, either other books of this type or professional stuff?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It did not blow me away either. I think she over embellished some parts, and under reported others. I’m one of the PPs who looked up the family on Facebook. They are pretty well off with their oil business, but still seem off. Her dad did not have any noticeable scars. Shawn looks like an abuser. I think a lot of your curiosity would be satisfied once you delve into the social media. Start with Butterfly Express on FB and go from there.

What are their names?

I saw your posts and then it just confused me. Why lie? Is it just embellishment?

I feel like I can't publish their names, since Tara didn't. I searched the names that were in the book, and business name, and back tracked from there.

I think it's embellishment, without outright lying. It's her version of the truth. The abuse parts I think were under reported in the book in an effort to preserve her own mental stability, and to not outright make accusations in a book that she hadn't yet made in life. If that makes sense?

At one point Tyler had a review of the book on goodreads. He also questioned a few things, but acknowledged that he was off at college for major parts of it, so he wasn't sure. He still gave the book a good rating. Her friend Drew, (in the book by name, but not a family member) had this to say - https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1H9WSNK8D66LW/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B072BLVM83

Names from the book:
Tara Westover
Tyler Westover
Luke (Lucas) Westover

Butterfly Expressions Essential Oils --> Mom and Sister's names and pics are in the January 24th post.
From Mom's page you can find the rest of the family, and pictures are nearly every page.

[Anonymous]

But those are fake names right? How did you search fake names?

[Anonymous]

Back to the book discussion...

I thought she had a lot of opportunities. It just didn’t seem THAT remarkable.

I’d love a photo of the steel scissor thing? Anyone know? I had a hard time picturing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But those are fake names right? How did you search fake names?

DP. You can find the real names.

I'm not sure any of it was embellished. I read the comments by family members and others and they mostly confirm events.

The story is about trauma but remember, she's still recovering. She's still in it, not beyond it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But those are fake names right? How did you search fake names?

Those are real names.

Only her parents, abusive brother, and older sister had fake names. You find them from the business, or friends of the named brothers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to the book discussion...

I thought she had a lot of opportunities. It just didn’t seem THAT remarkable.

I’d love a photo of the steel scissor thing? Anyone know? I had a hard time picturing that.

I couldn't finish the book, many things sounded fishy and overexaggerated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to the book discussion...

I thought she had a lot of opportunities. It just didn’t seem THAT remarkable.

I’d love a photo of the steel scissor thing? Anyone know? I had a hard time picturing that.

I tried looking that thing up too, no luck. I’m assuming it was just one of the embellishments.

She REALLY embellished her father’s scars. In pics, he looks only minorly scarred.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But those are fake names right? How did you search fake names?

Those are real names.

Only her parents, abusive brother, and older sister had fake names. You find them from the business, or friends of the named brothers.

Oh I thought in the beginning of the book she listed all of them and said they were pseudonyms?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But those are fake names right? How did you search fake names?

DP. You can find the real names.

I'm not sure any of it was embellished. I read the comments by family members and others and they mostly confirm events.

The story is about trauma but remember, she's still recovering. She's still in it, not beyond it.

Her brothers injuries didn’t make sense. Three times he fell and hit his head so hard that you could see his brain? And was healed by Herb’s? I don’t know…