Educated by Tara Westover

A memoir of a woman’s experience with her Mormon survivalist family and how she struggled with facing the reality of her situation, this book is a difficult read. Difficult mainly because it recounts the hardship of enduring multiple toxic relationships so well. Westover’s experience with coming to terms with her family but also with herself and her situation is really telling of how people can rationalize their circumstances, even when they cause them so much pain.

I guess you can see Westover’s situation and want her to just leave her family, but it really is not that easy. No one wants to be rejected by people who they love. But when she finally realizes how much they have and continue to hurt her, you could tel the pain leaving caused her even when she knew it was the right choice.

For anyone who might be in a toxic relationship, has been in the past, or needs reassurance that leaving is the right choice, then read this book. It is very important to be confident in our decisions, even when we know how hard leaving can be. This book will be painful to read, but it is definitely worth it.