We had a good size group last month, around 13, who showed up at Jackie’s beautiful home at the Stamford to discuss “Educated” by Tara Westover. In this unbelievable (but true) coming of age memoir Tara tells us about being born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, where she prepares for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeps with her “head-for-the-hills bag”. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard. It wasn’t until she was 17 until she first set foot in a classroom. During her time growing up she never saw a doctor, as her father forbade hospitals instead Tara and her siblings were treated at home by their mother with herbalism even when they suffered from major burns and explosions. Because her father bullied her into not attending school, Tara self-taught enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University where she studied history and learned for the first time about important world events such as the Holocaust and the civil rights movements. The more Tara learned the bigger the wedge she put between herself and her family and the more she struggled with the grief of leaving behind her family loyalties.
We had a very lively discussion after dinner of Roast beef with all the trimmings when we settled down with dessert. I would say the majority of the group enjoyed the book, there were a few that it just did not appeal to. I found it to be compelling and was amazed at what the human will is capable of. Tara certainly overcame many insurmountable obstacles to become the highly educated woman she is today.
Our next Evening Book Club meeting will be at Yomarie’ s new home on Wednesday 25th September where we will discuss “Family Trust” by Kathy Wang. Sounds like we will be having Chinese takeaway for dinner!
Here is a list of the next 3 books for 2019, as always, you don’t need to read the books to attend.
September (25th) ‘Family Trust’ by Kathy Wang, host Yomarie Eckert
October (30th) ‘The Girl on the Page’ by John Purcell, host Lisa Davis
November (27th) “Drowning Ruth” by Christina Schwartz, host Grace Nisbett
We will continue to have a gold coin collection which will benefit our charity – SPINZS
Happy reading!
Kim
