Educated

Educated by Kara Westover

Another book about the meaning of family, this time in memoir form. In the book, the author tells the story of her journey from an off-the-grid home in Idaho, where she was raised -- bullied? abused? -- by fundamentalist Mormon parents who avoided the "government" at all costs, to the highest ranks of academia. Despite no real schooling -- she reports that her parents had essentially given up on "home schooling" by the time she, the youngest of seven, rolled around -- she now has a PhD from Cambridge. There is much to that journey, of course, including a delusional father and physically abusive brother. And in the end, her family rejected her attempts to right the most egregious wrongs of her upbringing.

After reading reviews and interviews with the author, it seems as though most people are fascinated with the idea that, even in the 21st century, it is possible to grow up as isolated as Westover did. But I've lived in and visited many places where it was clear this is possible. My brain and eye was focused on the "educated" part, particularly when Westover first encountered "formal" education at BYU and then Cambridge. These portions of the book do not speak well of "higher" education. In both instances, Westover describes having to take tests in which she was asked to regurgitate information from lectures in which professors pontificated on various subjects. In fact, it isn't until after six years of schooling that, at Cambridge, Westover says that instead of being asked to read history, she is asked to write it. In other words, she wasn't asked to think for herself for six years of college. This is likely an exaggeration, but regardless of my hyperbole, it is clear from the memoir that what Westover describes as her "teachers" were really "tellers". That is, they sought to help students learn by telling them what they knew. But this isn't teaching at all. It is the simplest thing in the world to tell someone what you know. It is much more difficult, but ultimately more meaningful, to devise learning experiences in which students arrive at what you know on their own and then use this knowledge to form opinions about the topic at hand. So while many might see this book as a a tale of the triumph of "education", I think it tells a far less optimistic tale about the role that our educational institutions play in people's lives.

What is remarkable about this book is that it is, at least in the words of the author, true. It is incredible that someone's life could unfold in such a suspenseful way. No one should have to live a life like that. No one should have to wonder whether they will be hurt one moment or rejected from their family for expressing fear the next. While Westover's success is certainly inspiring, that she had to go through so much to achieve is is rather heartbreaking.