Author: Tara Westover
Nominated By: Mary El Hansen
non-fiction
Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she hdd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. This is a riveting memoir and was on the top 10 list of books by the New York times Book Review section.