Her desire to persevere and have a sense of self in spite of her crazy parents.

Is the message love your parents, family regardless if they beat you physically and emotionally

It was obviously due to the fact that her parents were making a fortune in their company and giving much needed employment

Do people give their ratings because on the emotional hardships of the author’s life or because the novel/poem/memoir is well-written?I have no doubt that Tara had a terrible childhood and terrible parents and siblings; her ability to leave such environment is admirable

Her life continues, but with great difficulty in coming to grips that she is not to blame for her parents' tough rules and attitudes towards her.

This book was quite an eye opener on how a child will love their parents even with abuse.

It is truly amazing that Tara was able to see past her parents bizarre beliefs and attempt to live a somewhat normal life by going to college and receiving education for the first time

Yet, even though her parents were abusive or delusional, they did one thing right

It is so sad to think that parents would deny their children such basic rights and turn their head to such abuse.

Reading this memoir made me appreciate my parents and the upbringing I experienced

The author deserves utmost admiration, respect and recognition for what she accomplished, emancipating herself from authoritarian and myopic and violent parents and elder brother and to seek and get and eventually excel in a formal education on a global level

Excellent memoir of a very different type of family and the author's early life as she struggles to reconcile her domineering parents with her desire to become an educated woman.

In this family both parents have mental health issues and it is amazing how the educated children have come thru it and found their own voice and sense of self.

Such as her parents brainwashing her or her brothers constant abuse towards her

I loved when her brother Tyler spoke up in support of Tara when she would not come back into the fold and her parents spread lies about her

There are several themes throughout but the one that stuck out to me was how much devastation a dysfunctional parent can cause when no one holds them accountable and stands up for what is right.

She hoped Shawn would not be abusive, that her parents would believe her, that they would support her

In interviews, she claims they are caring but to the reader they appear as incredibly toxic Mormon extremist parents with no boundaries

Do you go against the wishes of a parent once you realize that parent is mentally unsound or do you go along with their wishes because they are your parent

Her parents did not protect her (nor her siblings) when she needed it and seemed to dismiss any misfortune as the will of God

The irresponsible, misguided parents who not only denied their offspring the opportunity for an education, but the father (and brother) who were overtly abusive, was sickening

I recommend this book to everyone who wants to understand how the power of tradition and culture and the dependence and necessity of approval that children need from their parents oppress them and make them feel unfit when, in fact, parents have their own traumas but don’t recognize them, and therefore oppress children to believe in what they believe, to be what parents wanted to be and not what children naturally are and want to become

An incredible story about a young woman who manages to overcome repression and control of very devout and fanatical religious parents to achieve amazing success.

Sure the work was dangerous, and I certainly wouldn't advocate any parent to treat their children this way

I was absolutely amazed the author, Tara Westover, actually lived through such a brutal family experience with an abusive sibling and nutty parents.

Is it really a parent's right to use their children as labor in any dangerous situation they please

The ground it covers is amazing and it reminded me of Kiese Layman’s memoir, Heavy in its depiction of an attempt to maintain a relationship with an abusive parent

It's hard to believe parents could be so cruel to their children and so clueless to the abuse Shawn was showering on Tara literally before their eyes.

An incredible story about a young woman who manages to overcome repression and control of very devout and fanatical religious parents to achieve amazing success.

I am amazed that her parents were this cold & manipulative in the name of the Lord

Tara, according to her words, doubts her parents, who live "off the grid," and have NEVER EVER paid taxes - but she goes home and picks up her parent's tax returns so that she can apply for an education grant

Very moving & emotional story told by a young Mormon girl who was not allowed to attend elementary or high school due to her fanatical parents

It demonstrated to me how a parent's approval is always important.

So much for Righteous fundamentalist parents who place their children's safety over religion.

The parents’ backward ways and lack of knowledge angered me in so many ways.

I should think that abuse as brutal as she described and the family denial will take her much longer to recover from than she describe

Tara’s story might help people to better understand who they are and inspire them to make themselves a fundamental change in their lives, as well as it might help the world, the public opinion, and people in position of leadership to better understand the dramatic lives of people isolated from education and health services

Furthermore, like her old sect, her new religion will reward her so long as she follows its tenets.

Brave as in everything she went

n’t put down but dread seeing it end.

n’t write another book unless she has actually freed her mind.

n’t think the author is lying (as others claim)