SCC Book Club

Book Review: “Educated” by Author Tara Westover

Written by Claire Monk

I know a book club doesn’t sound like a standard SCC sporting activity, but our group has the same amount of camaraderie as any of the SCC teams. The combination of cultures, personalities and variety of life experiences always leads to a lively and interesting discussion about the book we have been reading. There is never a wrong opinion or point of view, and often hearing someone explain their perspective leads to further discussion about topics related to the book. It has even been known to send us off on such a tangent that it lead to the next book being decided as we all want to know more.

The last book the group read and discussed was “Educated” by Tara Westover. The book is a memoir of the author’s childhood as she grew up in a survivalist Mormon family in rural Idaho. Tara recounts the life of her family who lived off the grid and under the radar, as her father suffered from a paranoid fear of government interference. He refused to allow his children to attend school, have a birth certificate or receive medical attention. As you read through the book, she recalls how working for her father’s scrap metal business and her mother’s herbal remedies impacted on her and her siblings. She doesn’t hold back and has you living through the sibling support, fights and abuse of her childhood. Finally at the age of 17, she manages to pass herself off as homeschooled and gained a scholarship to college.

If you think that is the end of the story, you are very much mistaken; the story continues as it twists and turns through her life as she fights for the education she has always wanted until she finally gains a PhD in history from Cambridge University in England. She then looks back at what this has cost her in the way of family but also what she has gained in pride in herself and the independence she has established. The group scored the book a firm 4.5 out of 5 and would highly recommend it to the other groups; it led to one of our best discussions.

The next book which our group - which next meets on Tuesday, 11 January 2022 at 2pm – will discuss is “The Code Breaker“ by Walter Isaacson.

SCC BOOK CLUB

The SCC Book Club consists of four groups that meet live/virtually on different days/times and discuss different types of books:

• 3rd Week Tuesday of the Month (Bi-monthly) at 2pm • 2nd Week Wednesday of the Month (Monthly) at 10am • 3rd Week Thursday of the Month (Monthly) at 7pm • 1st Week Thursday of the Month (Monthly on Zoom) at 8pm