Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

Jun 28, 2018vm510 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The last two thirds of this book are glorious and I read without stopping for hours. Westover traces her upbringing in a survivalist Mormon family that does not believe in the "Medical Establishment" and does not send their children to school. They suffer through serious accidents, all to be solved with her mother's herbs and a belief in God. Her brother is abusive and violent - and her parents blame her. Westover starts to slowly disentangle herself from her family, attending BYU. She loses herself learning about history, attains more opportunities studying abroad, and is ultimately awarded a PhD. I loved hearing about her education; her ignorance supplanted by discovery. As she learns more and questions her parents' beliefs, her family tries to "save her." Growing up in this kind of family - and especially as a girl/woman - there is gaslighting to the extent that Westover questions her own reality... that maybe succumbing and not losing her family is better. She sifts through these thoughts, showing us that getting an education offers you opportunities to construct your own mind and make your own decisions.