If you haven't heard about Tara Westover's Educated, you will. If you enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy or The Glass Castle, you will enjoy Educated. Westover was kept out of public school by her parents but was not really homeschooled either. Her story of growing up with a (likely bipolar) doomsday prepper, strictly religious father, a midwife mother with other healing gifts, and many siblings is almost unbelievable. Imagine never seeing a doctor. Imagine getting yelled at for rolling up your sleeves (immodest) on a hot Idaho day. Imagine not having a birth certificate. Abuse, shifting rules, shifting moods, shifting alliances ... her childhood is not easy. Her family is not conventional (understatement). And yet, they are her family, and she loves them, which makes her journey to educate herself all the more challenging and amazing. The first time Westover ever sits in a classroom, she's a student at Brigham Young University. Westover's writing is honest, thoughtful, and reflective. She's not trying to sensationalize her childhood so much as she is trying to make sense of it. Excellent. I want to discuss it with someone.
The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances has been on my radar for a while. It was published last year in the UK and I somehow saw a description of it. I've been waiting patiently for it to make its way to the USA. This is the perfect thriller for boy moms! A mom becomes increasingly wary of her precious son's girlfriend. It would be a fun pick for a book club that enjoys a lighter read, though the things that happen in this book and the discussion it invites are not necessarily light.
Any ideas for my March credits?
I promise the next post will not be audiobook-related. I was just playing catch up.
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