中譯名稱:《垃圾場長大的自學人生：從社會邊緣到劍橋博士的震撼教育》
【從垃圾場拾荒到劍橋歷史博士的逆轉人生】
塔拉‧維斯奧佛(Tara Westover)出生於愛荷華山區一個偏激的摩門教家庭，直至9歲拿到身分證前，她是幽靈人口，不曾存在。她沒有就醫紀錄，無論感冒或受傷只靠藥草治療，父母告訴她世界會末日，她患有精神疾病的哥哥時常對她拳腳相向，甚至幾次昏厥過去。
因為家庭的箝制和壓抑，讓她一度認為自己也將這樣度過一生，直到她逃家考上大學的哥哥鼓勵她自學，她才一步步倚靠自己的努力，17歲才走進學校，考過美國同等學力測驗，進入知名的楊百翰大學，28歲時，她拿到英國劍橋歷史博士學位。
由於塔拉的身世過於曲折離奇，這本自傳甫出版便震驚全美國，從她由宛如化外之地的原生家庭進入所謂的文明社會，不禁令人思考，何謂真正的教育？是要贏在起跑點搶快超齡學習，還是儘管你在起跑點晚了整整17年，也能因為「教育」成功扭轉命運？
NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • ONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR • BILL GATES’S HOLIDAY READING LIST • FINALIST: National Book Critics Circle’s Award In Autobiography and John Leonard Prize For Best First Book • PEN/Jean Stein Book Award • Los Angeles Times Book Prize
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.
