Tara Westover is an acclaimed American author and historian, best known for her memoir, Educated. Born in Clifton, Idaho in September 1986, Westover was the youngest of seven children to LaRee and Val Westover. Her parents were survivalists who distrusted hospitals, doctors, public schools, and the federal government, which resulted in Westover being born at home without any medical assistance and without a birth certificate until she was nine years old.
Growing up, Westover's childhood was far from conventional. She never attended school and spent her days working in her father's junkyard or helping her mother, a self-taught herbalist and midwife. It wasn't until she was seventeen that Westover set foot in a classroom for the first time. However, this initial experience sparked a decade-long pursuit of learning, leading her to earn a BA from Brigham Young University in 2008. Westover's academic achievements continued as she was awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which allowed her to earn an MPhil from Trinity College, Cambridge in 2009. In 2010, she became a visiting fellow at Harvard University before returning to Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD in history in 2014.
Westover's memoir, Educated, was published in 2018 and quickly became a bestseller, debuting at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. The book received critical acclaim and was a finalist for several awards. It was named one of the best books of the year by numerous publications, including O: The Oprah Magazine, Time, NPR, Good Morning America, and The Guardian. Despite her unconventional upbringing, Westover's pursuit of education and subsequent success is a testament to her determination and resilience.