Educated: A Memoir

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Westover’s experience is truly unusual. How much did you know about the book and its author before reading? Did this awareness prepare you for the shocking story Westover tells?
• What other memoirs by people overcoming difficult or marginalized childhoods have you read? Was this one more or less compelling? Which types of autobiographical stories do you connect with most?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and arguments with their personal experiences and perspectives

• Westover’s love of learning, once she is allowed to access it, shines through. How does her experience of finally getting the ability to explore the world compare to how you remember high school or college? Did you have the same awe? 
• Which aspects of Westover’s relationships with her siblings spoke to your experiences? Are the supportive and abusive dynamics she describes relatable or familiar? 
• Was the ending of the memoir satisfying? Should a memoir have a satisfying ending that wraps everything up, or an open-ended conclusion that leaves questions unanswered?
• How did you feel about the mentor figures in Westover’s life, such as Tyler and Dr. Kerry? Conversely, how did you feel about would-be supporters, like Charlie and Audrey, who ended up buckling when Westover most needed them? What does it mean to have supportive people alongside you during difficult times? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to broader societal issues, cultural trends, and public policy.

• The memoir portrays an extreme form of homeschooling and the abuse that results. Consider this in the context of recent efforts made by parent groups to ban certain books from school libraries – and sometimes public libraries as well. How much control should parents have over what their children learn?
• Would it be difficult to review memoirs like this one—ones open about abuse, violence, and personal tragedy? How do you think critics should approach formulating opinions about the flaws or weaknesses of these kinds of works?

4. Literary Analysis 

Dive into the book’s structure, themes, and use of evidence.

• The memoir describes several different kinds of education, such as Gene’s sermons, Faye’s half-hearted homeschooling, the many trade skills Westover learned in Gene’s junkyard, and formal traditional education at BYU and Oxford. How does Westover approach each of these types of school? What does this say about her as a person?
• Westover highlights the subjective nature of memoir by often pointing out to readers that her family members remember events differently. Why does she do this? Do you think she actually doubts her version of events? Does this strategy make her memoir more or less believable? 
• Two potent motifs in the memoir are Buck’s Peak, the mountain where Westover grows up, and the end of the world, which becomes Gene’s obsession. Both represent different views of home: for Westover, the appeal of Buck’s Peak is its strength, endurance, and unchanging nature; meanwhile, Gene’s untreated mental illness often expresses itself through anger and fear that the household and the world are fragile and soon to be destroyed. How does the memoir balance and explore these conflicting views of what “home” means?
• How does the power dynamic between Gene and Faye shift and change as the memoir goes on? Gene preaches complete and totalitarian patriarchy, but Faye reclaims some agency and authority as a midwife. How does the Westover household both reflect and subvert Gene’s religious ideology? 

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book’s content and themes.

• Whose version of events would make for an engaging companion or follow up memoir? Who else would you like to hear from in this story?
• What kind of adaption would best capture the emotional beats of Westover story? Broadway musical? Gritty streaming show? Magazine photo essay? Graphic novel along the lines of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home? 

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