Educated chronicles the author’s journey from a childhood without a formal education to earning a PhD in history from Cambridge university. The first half of the book recounts her childhood, while the second half focuses on both her pursuit of education and the consequences thereof. Over the course of the book, Westover reflects on family, identity, and mental illness.
Pros:
- I found the story to be captivating for its entire length. I was invested in the author’s journey, even if I regularly disagreed with her choices (or at least hoped I would have made different choices if I was in her shoes).
- Westover is deft in her use of language. This includes both the physical descriptions of the places she lives and visits (in particular, the location of her childhood home, Buck’s Peak), as well as the way she describes the differences between her life in her childhood home and her life at school.
- Westover is able to discuss issues of family, identity, education, class, and mental illness in a way that is neither hackneyed or preachy.
Cons:
- This isn’t a con per se, but a warning: this book was surprisingly graphic in parts. I believe everything was done tastefully / in service of the narrative, but it was certainly a surprise the first time it happened. One passage in particular almost made me gag, though I think that could also be to the author’s credit as a writer.
- Occasionally, I found the voices of the male characters blended together. I found this to be especially true when multiple men in Westover’s family were interacting with each other.
- Though they are not central to the narrative, there were a few niggling threads that were left hanging by the end of the book. In particular, I felt Westover’s relationship with her significant other was underdeveloped and it is never clear what happens to Westover’s seemingly broken big toe.
Conclusion:
Listening to the amount of physical and emotional trauma Westover endured was an experience unlike any other I’ve had in recent memory. Though the language in Educated is approachable, this book is not an easy read; it asks the reader to go to some very dark places. With all of that being said, I definitely think the journey was worth it in the end. If the premise of the book sounds interesting, I would recommend giving it a listen.
Check it out here.
You may also enjoy…
- “Being Mortal,” by Atul Gawande
- “How To Change Your Mind,” by Michael Pollan
