She meets other kids her age and, though she does not know how to relate to them because of her family’s unique lifestyle, she becomes interested in fitting in and learning more about “normal life.” Westover gets a job, takes dance classes and piano lessons, and eventually gets involved in local theater productions-a hobby she keeps up until she leaves home for college. He was also often extremely paranoid and would require the entire family to prepare for the second coming of Christ, which is what Christians believe marks the beginning of the apocalypse.Īfter the apocalypse did not occur at the turn of the year 2000 like Gene preached that it would, 13-year-old Westover became increasingly interested in finding things to do off of the mountain. During this time, Westover tells stories of her father’s strange mood swings, which often led him to make poor decisions that put the rest of the family in danger. As a child, Westover helps her mother with her domestic duties until she is old enough, at approximately 11, to work in the junkyard on her father’s crew. The only outsiders who come to the Westover house are there for work: to help Westover’s mother, Faye, with her midwifing duties or to work for Westover’s father, Gene, in his junkyard. The family members keep to themselves, spending little time in the nearby town or socializing with friends and neighbors. The memoir begins with Westover’s memories from her life as a child living with her family in the mountains of Idaho. Her memories span the years 1993 to 2014, approximately.

Although the exact date of certain events can be vague in Westover’s memoir, she tells the story of her life chronologically, starting with her memories from when she was 7 years old and tracing them up through the recent past, when she completed her PhD at the age of 27 and began her post-graduate education.

Consequently, the reader absorbs Westover’s memories and experiences as she describes them as an adult in the present. As a memoir, Educated is written in the first person perspective, which means its told from Westover’s point of view. By its nature, a memoir is a representation of the author’s impressions and memories of his or her past.

Educated by Tara Westover