If you ever need a little inspiration on your educational journey, I heartily recommend this book to you. Westover's journey is nothing short of breathtaking in its length and breadth. She grew up, unschooled in any meaningful way, in the back country of Idaho. Her father was a religious fanatic and an anti-government zealot. At 17, through the example of her older brother Tyler, she studied on her own for the ACT and on her second attempt scored a 28, which was enough to get her into Brigham Young University.
At BYU she discovered the real holes in her knowledge. Historical items that are background cultural knowledge for most of us were meaningless to her. This was not due to a lack of intelligence, but to a lack of being taught these things. I don't want to ruin the story by enumerating some of the shocking lapses.
She was also ignorant about medicine. Her family was against the use of medicine. They believed in being healed by faith. This included the lack of knowledge about the importance of proper hygiene.
It is a story of struggle and triumph. A struggle against physical, mental, and emotional abuse. A struggle against ignorance and stubbornness. A struggle against shame.
I believe that this book is important for educators and anyone who believes in the power of education. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.
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