Monday, January 27, 2020
2:45 A238
Moderator: Michelle Davis
An unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University
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’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
“Beautiful and propulsive . . . Despite the singularity of [Tara Westover’s] childhood, the questions her book poses are universal: How much of ourselves should we give to those we love? And how much must we betray them to grow up?”—Vogue
“Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others.”—The New York Times Book Review
I was intrigued by this offering - a read that was powerful and purposeful. The story of Tara and the role of education in extricating her from abhorrent familial/educational conditions was something that I found compelling, as well as easy to relate to for myself - and moreover many of the students we interact with.
ReplyDeleteI was really struck by Tara's internal struggles, how hard it was for her to progress beyond that farm in Idaho - the extent to which she had (understandably) internalized so much of what she was fed as a child, despite the harm that it caused her throughout her life; that point could easily be applicable for many of our students.
The other point that struck me was the extent to which we really may not "fully" know the people we interact with as peers, as teachers, etc. - and the potential impact that that may have on expectations and the way we understand responses. A lesson I'm taking away from this read is the power of perspective - and continuing to emphasize that in my approach to students, working to make sure that their voices are heard, and moreover understood in my classroom.
I would say that this title could be offered as a non-fiction read in an English class. potentially as an independent read, however beyond that I don't really see it finding a place in a classroom - it'd be great to take into a Social Studies classroom - but I don't think the topic is central enough to my curriculum.
Well - one more post for the month as I couldn't find a place to post this first independent read.
ReplyDeleteSo the first book I chose on my own was 'Talking To Strangers' By Malcolm Gladwell
In typical Gladwell style, the book begins with the story of Sandra Bland - an African-American woman arrested in Texas, taken into custody and found dead days later. The book then proceeds through a broad presentation of vignettes that serve Gladwell's central thesis - people are REALLY bad at talking to Strangers.
I found the book to be powerful and informative - and I've always appreciated Gladwell's authorial approach and writing style. I also found much in the book that I could use to inform my teaching practice - namely, people are really bad at reading/talking to others.
I don't think the entire work would be well-received by a high-school audience, though there may be vignettes that could be removed from the larger context and included in an English class as an example of non-fiction writing, and there are many that would work well for health class (specifically mental health issues), a social studies class (including Chamberlin's interactions with Hitler prior to WWII, and the more contemporary discussion of Sandra Bland's interaction with the police, and honestly many others).
Overall I found this title to be an enjoyable read with much to offer - though I doubt I would recommend it to SOTA readers/recommend for purchase.