By Tara Westover
Read in 9th Grade
Tara was born in Utah, to a very devout Mormon father and 6 siblings. Her father owns a junkyard where all the kids work. He is also anti-socialist, believing that the Government and Medical Establishment are conspiracies. He pulled all his children out of school and is always trying to be “self-reliant”. He buys guns, buries gasoline, and cans fruit. He believes The End of Days, described in the Bible, is coming. Tara grows up in this atmosphere, constantly trying to figure out what’s right and wrong. She stays away from the “normal” people, but her views start to change when the world doesn’t end.
