How Did a Girl Without Formal Education Until 17 Achieve a Cambridge PhD?

First-Person Storytelling from “Educated”
From Tara Westover’s Autobiographical Novel “Educated”

In the heart of rural Idaho, my life was a stark contrast to the world beyond the mountains. My family, deeply rooted in their beliefs, lived off the grid, far from the conventional norms of society. Growing up, I never set foot in a classroom until I was seventeen, and even then, it was a leap into the unknown. My education began not with books, but with the raw, unfiltered lessons of survival and self-reliance that my father, a man of fierce independence, instilled in us.

Our home was a place where the lines between reality and paranoia often blurred. My father’s distrust of government and institutions shaped our isolated existence, and his voice, filled with conviction and urgency, echoed through the canyons of our daily lives. He believed that the end of the world was imminent, and he prepared us for it with a fervor that left little room for doubt.

We stockpiled food, learned to use guns, and were always on high alert, ready for the day when society would collapse.

Despite the isolation, there was a beauty in our rugged, untamed life. The mountains and the sky, vast and endless, provided a backdrop of freedom and adventure. Yet, as I grew older, the confines of our world began to feel suffocating. A hunger for knowledge, a yearning to understand the world beyond our mountain, gnawed at me. It was this desire that eventually led me to defy the expectations and limitations placed upon me, and to seek an education that would change my life forever.

The journey to education was not just about learning; it was a transformation. It was about breaking free from the chains of ignorance and fear, and embracing a new way of thinking. Each book I read, each class I attended, was a step towards a new identity, one that was no longer defined by the rigid boundaries of my past.

The road was fraught with challenges—struggling to fit in, grappling with the gaps in my knowledge, and facing the disapproval of my family. But every obstacle only fueled my determination to succeed.

Today, as I reflect on my journey, I am grateful for the strength and resilience that my unique upbringing has given me. My story is a testament to the power of education and the indomitable spirit of those who dare to dream beyond their circumstances. It is a reminder that, no matter where we come from, we all have the potential to shape our own destinies and to rise above the limitations imposed upon us.