Tara Westover
Tara Westover is Educated's author and first-person narrator. Tara is the youngest of seven children born into a survivalist Mormon household in rural southeastern Idaho. Due to her father's radical beliefs, she was denied healthcare and education. After working at her father's junkyard throughout her childhood and adolescence, Tara realizes that the only way to leave home is to go to college. She teaches herself math and grammar, and, at age 17, she is accepted to Brigham Young University. Tara succeeds academically, and she is later awarded a Gates scholarship to complete her MPhil at Cambridge University. She then goes on to receive her PhD in intellectual history, also from Cambridge. While Tara's education allows her to grow intellectually and culturally, she subsequently becomes estranged from her extremist parents.
Gene Westover
Gene Westover is Tara's father. He strictly follows Mormon doctrine and prides himself on extreme "self-sufficiency." He is suspicious of the federal government, and as a result he rejects medicine and education. He imposes a survivalist lifestyle and an "End of Days" philosophy upon his family. As she grows older, Tara realizes that his radical beliefs cause him to be dangerous and abusive. After he survives a horrific accident on his property, Gene's religious fervor intensifies. Gene ultimately disowns Tara once he notices that her academic accomplishments have led her to stray from his lifestyle.
Shawn Westover
Shawn is one of Tara's older brothers. Although the two siblings are close in childhood, Shawn's behavior changes when Tara grows to be a more mature woman. After suffering a traumatic brain injury, Shawn becomes increasingly violent. He physically and verbally abuses Tara, but the family excuses his behavior as a result of his injury. Shawn later marries Emily, whom he also abuses. However, Gene and Faye fail to hold Shawn accountable for his actions. This issue eventually causes a divide within the family.
Grandma-over-in-town
Grandma-over-in-town is Tara's maternal grandmother. Although she lives just fifteen miles away, Tara often feels as though her grandmother lives on the other side of the world. Her home, which is clean and orderly, stands in stark contrast to the grime of Buck's Peak. Grandma-over-in-town also thinks that Gene has brainwashed her daughter, Faye, with his radical thinking.
Grandma-down-the-hill
Grandma-down-the hill is Tara's paternal grandmother. She believes that Gene's opinions are extreme, and she feels as though Tara should explore life beyond the mountain. Grandma-down-the-hill offers for Tara to spend the winter with her in Arizona as a way to expose Tara to a more normal lifestyle. However, Tara is too scared to leave home.
Dr. Jonathan Steinberg
Professor Steinberg is one of Tara's advisors at Cambridge. He is impressed by Tara's academic work, and he urges her to be more confident within her new environment. Professor Steinberg compares Tara to Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion.
Faye Westover
Faye Westover is Tara's mother. She grew to resent Grandma-over-in-town's rigid lifestyle, and she vowed to live more alternatively. She married Gene at a young age and acquiesced to his radical religious beliefs. She homeschools her seven children and works as a midwife and alternative healer. Following Gene's accident, she mends his burned body with her oils. The success of her treatments lead to a new business opportunity, and the family becomes much wealthier than they were during Tara's childhood. Although Tara attempts to reconcile with Faye before making amends with Gene, Tara realizes that her mother ultimately shares Gene's negative feelings about their daughter.
Tyler Westover
Tyler is the third brother of the seven siblings. He is the first to go to college, and Tara witnesses how much he flourishes upon leaving Buck's Peak. Tyler encourages Tara to study for the ACT and follow his footsteps at BYU. Later in life, Tyler supports Tara when she confronts her parents about Shawn's abusive behavior.
Richard Westover
Richard is the fifth of Tara's older brothers. He is devoted to Mormonism, but he also leaves Buck's Peak. He marries and moves to another part of Idaho.
Luke Westover
Luke is Tara's fourth brother. In the memoir, Tara relates how he once caught fire while working in the scrapyard. Although Tara was just a child, she had to nurse Luke and tend his severe burns while Faye was midwifing. Tara is incredibly scarred by this experience, and her trauma causes her to have incomplete memories about Luke's injury.
Audrey Westover
Audrey is Tara's only sister. She takes a job in town in order to avoid working in the dangerous scrapyard. Later on, Audrey helps Faye run their family's herbal business. Although they were not close growing up, Audrey confides in Tara that she also experienced Shawn's abusive behavior. Together, the two daughters confront their parents about Shawn. However, Gene and Faye intimidate Audrey into revoking her claims. As a result, Audrey cuts Tara out of her life.
Tony Westover
Tony is Tara's oldest brother and Gene and Faye's first child. He does not have a major role in the memoir, but he works at the scrapyard with Gene.
Aunt Debbie
Aunt Debbie is one of Faye's estranged sisters. After Tara receives the Gates Cambridge scholarship, Aunt Debbie helps her get a passport by vouching for her date of birth (Tara was not issued a birth certificate). Following Tara's estrangement from her parents, Aunt Debbie allows Tara to stay at her home in order for her to be able to visit her grandparents.
Aunt Angie
Aunt Angie is Faye's other estranged sister. She worked for Faye's oil business, but she was later fired due to Gene's paranoia.
Charles
Charles is Tara's first boyfriend in Idaho. Tara has internalized her father's misogynist beliefs, and as a result she is unable to intimately connect with Charles. After Charles sees Shawn abuse Tara, he attempts to try and get Tara help. However, Tara is too embarrassed and ends up breaking up with him. Later in the memoir, Tara reveals that she and Charles remain friends.
Drew
Drew is Tara's boyfriend while she is studying at Cambridge. Tara confides in Drew about her upbringing and family dynamics.
Emily Westover
Emily is Shawn's wife. She is much younger than Shawn, and she has two children with him. Both pregnancies and births are very complicated, and Emily's own health is jeopardized. Later, Tara realizes that Shawn abuses Emily much like he abused Tara while they were growing up.
