By Tara Westover | Penguin Random House
If you’ve ever questioned the value of your education or the costs of putting your kids through post-secondary school, you’ll want to read Educated, A Memoir by Tara Westover. Unlike the rest of us, this first-time author was never able to take school for granted. In fact, she didn’t set foot in a classroom until she was 17. Growing up isolated from society, in an Idaho family of survivalists, she spent her childhood days getting ready for the apocalypse rather than math tests. Tara wanted to learn, though, and to have a different kind of life, so she had to leave her family. Eventually, that quest led her all the way to Cambridge, where she earned a PhD in history. Educated, an inspiring story of resilience and determination, has been at or near the top of numerous Best Books lists.