A memoir of growing up in a survivalist family with no formal schooling, and the long, painful road to a university education. Westover writes about memory itself — how it shifts, who gets to define it — which makes the book more than a misery memoir. It is intense in places, and readers should know it deals with family conflict and violence. The payoff is a clear-eyed story about education as self-invention.
Verdict: Read it. One of the most discussed memoirs of recent years, for good reason.
Where to buy
Check your library or local bookstore.
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