Educated by Tara Westover

Educated

By

Tara Westover

The county in which I live has a "Clinton County Reads" selection once a year.  They have various activities surrounding a book that is selected for that year and the ending event is a dinner at the nicest restaurant in the county seat.  This year the book that was picked is Educated by Tara Westover.  Since I work second shift I can't attend any of the events.  But I still wanted to join in and read the book.  It is a memoir.  I am not a big fan of memoirs because I think every one who goes through any given situation has a different idea of what happened.  I have to give the author credit for acknowledging this throughout her book.  I also do not enjoy reading about abuse.  In the book there is one older brother who physically abuses the author.  I have a hard time with victims of abuse.  It isn't that I don't believe them.  I understand that even if their memory isn't perfect, in order to have the PTSD associated with a past of abuse something significant had to have happened to imprint the event on the psyche.  If the details are not perfectly remembered it doesn't matter.  Something major took place.  Therefore I believe victims.  But I can't accept the victim mentality.  I have always said "I don't do victim."  If I had experienced an abusive relationship maybe I would understand better what goes through a person's mind who is being abused by someone they love.  But in my mind it is ludicrous to remain in a situation where one is mistreated.  The logical thing to do is leave.  If unable to leave the next choice is to incapacitate the abuser.  Throughout the book there were many opportunities for the author to incapacitate her brother but she never seemed to have any idea that she could be in control.   At one point he had rolled his motorcycle off the road into a snow bank and was hurt so badly his brains were seeping out of a hole in his head.  Tara drove up behind him and instead of turning around and leaving she got him into her car and took him to the hospital.  In my opinion she was under no obligation to help him.  There were others at the scene of the accident to fill that role.  I realize she loved her brother but in order to really love someone a person has to love themself.  How can a person love themself and allow themself to be mistreated?  While avoidance is my coping mechanism of choice, if unable to avoid, and abusive behavior doesn't stop when the person is told to stop,  I fully believe in self defense.  Even if I love a person, I love myself more, and can't imagine remaining in an abusive situation.  Women can't depend on others to defend them.  Society in general does not care to get involved.  We must defend ourselves.  It is important that we do not initiate violence and that we do not escalate situations.  Sometimes one needs to know when to sit down and shut up and re-address an issue of conflict at another time. But when backed into a corner with no escape sometimes one has to kick some ass - even if a person has to plot and scheme a bit to do so.  Educated will not be a favorite book of mine for this year.  It is well written and I do think the story is a valuable one.  Perhaps it will help some people to get out of unhealthy family situations.  If so that is a good thing.  Educated is not a book that I will recommend to others because I found it depressing.  Please click on the book title and author's name above to learn more information.  I am posting three videos below.  One is of an interview with the author.  One is of the author singing a hymn.  And the third one is the author's mother and sister talking about some oils from the essential oil business the family runs.  There has been debate whether to believe Tara's story or believe her family who say she exaggerates.   Watch the three videos and decide for yourself who you believe.  I am glad she got out.  I wish she would not have left that one brother behind to terrorize his wife, children, nieces, nephews and his other sister.  I hope one of them finds a way to stop him.  

March by Geraldine Brooks

March

by

Geraldine Brooks

As a child I read Little Women and I re-read the book a few years ago after visiting Concord, Massachusetts and touring Louisa May Alcott's home.  I had also read the sequel Rose In Bloom  as a child.  Therefore the March family is one that I grew up holding dear.  So when I read of a recommendation for the book March by Geraldine Brooks I snatched it up.  I was not disappointed.  It is the story of the father in Little Women.  He leaves, in the original book, for one year to be a chaplain in the Civil War.  Modern author Geraldine Brooks decided it was time we had the story of his year away and so she wrote it.  From page one it mesmerized me.  Brooks makes the people in the story seem very real and places the reader at each and every scene.  I will definitely read more of this author.  Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the video that follows.

The Hidden Life Of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

The Hidden Life Of Trees 

By

Peter Wohlleben

This book was leant to me by a friend.  It is a non fiction book written by a man who works in forestry in Germany.  It is full of good information and is very soothing to read. Written in simple language, it is not a difficult book.  The chapter about forest fires should be read by many people in the United States who are very misinformed. No need to rake the woods!  In fact the entire book should be read by everyone.  It will definitely make my top ten list this year. I highly recommend others read this book.  Please follow the links on the title and authors name above for more information and enjoy the interview with the author in the video that follows. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None

by

Agatha Christie

The local library's daytime reading group selection for March is Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  Several of the group enjoy mysteries as their favorite genre and someone suggested one book be a classic this year.  So this book fit both criteria.  First published in 1939, it is recognized as the best selling crime novel of all time.  Ten people visit an island resort and begin to be killed off one by one.  There is a poem hanging on the wall about ten little soldiers and how they each one disappear as time goes on and there are ten glass soldiers in the middle of the dining room table from which one disappears each time a group member is killed.  Originally the poem was called ten little "niggers" and when that, thankfully, became unacceptable it was reworked to be ten little "Indians".  The most recent update was to rewrite the poem to be about ten little "soldiers".  The book was well written by a famous author.  It is a classic.  Definitely worth the read and one that everyone should read at some point.  But since mystery is not my genre I will probably not include it in my top ten list for 2019.  It did entertain me though and is a decent enough  book.  And I have to admit that I did not solve the mystery.  I had picked the person that was the culprit but then incorrectly ruled him out part way through.   Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information.  And enjoy the video that follows.  It is a movie trailer from one of the many movies made from this famous novel.