Tara Westover on growing up as a Mormon survivalist

I'm a guy who is leaving a Mennonite cult. This book has helped me to have clarity on what my obligations to my family are and are not.

She is very generous in her description of her parents...they should be in jail in my opinion...this book is amazing...they were abusive and allowed the brother to terrorize women...without accountability...I don't call this love or that they cared...they were sick and are mentally ill...great read...and amazing that she survived!

It’s amazing that a woman who had been deprived of a basic education for the first 17 years of her life could go on to get a PhD from one of the world’s most prestigious universities and become a author. Truly inspiring.

When she said, “No birth certificate?!” I was thinking didn’t she read the book?...

Reading the first sentence in this book: "This book is not about Mormonism." The book is a beautifully written memoir about growing up in a family with extreme views, and finding self discovery or getting "educated" (Dr. Westover's words), despite the many challenges in her life. It takes a brave person to do what she did in her life and then write about it. I admire her!

Such a sad upbringing. I'm so glad this young woman was able to get free and develop her mind. She's obviously a brilliant girl.

I just finished her book. She is an amazing woman. Inspiring and brilliant.

Tara says 'He's a bit paranoid" !!!.. that is the understatement of the century..correction "father was batshit crazy, deluded, feckless, reckless, negligent with our health". "We would get injured quite a bit" another understatement, correction "some of us almost died, at his hands, we suffered horrific, horrendous pain, wounds, burns, accident at his neglectful hands, which could have been avoided" down playing this is NOT normal. The fathers words calling women "whores" was visited on the sons, on to the entire family in tirade after tirade their entire lives. The son then used this on his own sister, calling her a whore - she was a young girl. Another sadist in the making by a sadist. Fractured men incapable of being in this world without hurting others who shine and bring light. Downplaying ANY of this is beyond comprehension. Let call it what it is. No cotton-wooling this. The father inflicted his rage, his paranoia, his delusions, his extremism from his own multitude of inadequacies onto his own long-suffering family.

In the early parts of the book, you could really tell she had an analytical mind as a child which is probably what helped her when she did start school.

I'm loving the book but its really really hard to read Tara's journey especially growing up with so many challenges and hardships. Her mother also really showed survival to its core. This is a story of perseverance and courage....It really changed some of my perspectives about home schooling and the role of schools in a child's life. THANK YOU and I'm glad your wrote this book!!!

Her book was fantastic, sad, and invigorating for sure. Thank God she was strong enough to gain strength and overcome those great obstacles.

The interviewer is asking questions, for those of us that know nothing about Tara. Know nothing about this book. Cut the lady some slack. My gosh!!

a brave young woman who shows that mental illness impacts families in negative ways. It takes a lot to face this down.

Umm If yoir honored enough to interview Tara Westover the least you could do is read the book.

She is so articulate

Did Christiane Amanpour even read the book??? Doesn't seem like it at all.

Finished reading her book in 2 days. I was actually hoping that some of the scenes werent real, i thought to myself, who the on earth would do such things to your own family. I just couldn’t picture it. But damn they were all true. Shes really been through all of that.

Watching this and how polished Tara's attitude was in the video (until the part she talked about her parents not believing in her for the abuse) just reminds me of what she said in the book: that her grandma held a polished manner and that she later would come to understand her grandma, how it feels to be estranged from the family and hold on to an air of respect. It's almost heartbreaking.

Things went well for her because she is extraordinarily bright. In her memoir she writes that there was almost no home schooling: no tests; no assignments; no accountability. Yet she taught herself, aced the ACT, & got admitted to a university & then Harvard. Consider her situation if she had normal intelligence. She would still be living that life. Consider how many people have been raised like that but have normal intelligence, they were never taught doodly, & they just have to keep living that life. It's horrifying to think about.

That's just prove that you're destiny is not conditioned by the color of your skin, the place you are born, your gender, etc. Your life is much bigger than this. Every life is important, every body is equal, every body deserves second chance…. Leap of faith!