Educated is an autobiographical account that follows the life of Tara Westover, a young girl born in rural Idaho to Mormon survivalists. The memoir is divided into three parts. Part One focuses on Tara's early childhood in Buck's Peak, a rural and isolated community. In Part One, the audience learns that Tara is the youngest of seven children. Her father, referred to under the pseudonym "Gene," runs a metal scrapyard on their property. "Faye," Tara's mother, is an herbalist, midwife, and healer. Tara discusses how her mother began her career as a midwife, and she also recounts a terrible car accident that caused her mother to sustain a serious brain injury.
While growing up, Tara spends time with her maternal grandmother, who she refers to as "Grandma-over-in-town." Grandma-over-in-town first introduces Tara to the notion that her father is a religious extremist and that her home life is abnormal. Tara's childhood ends when Tyler, one of Tara's older brothers, leaves home to attend Brigham Young University, a Mormon college in Utah. Tara is forced to work at the metal scrapyard, and she is subject to its dangerous conditions. Tara misses Tyler and is envious of his ability to escape home. As a result, Tara begins to read Mormon doctrines in an effort to educate herself. She also begins to search for ways to distance herself from home, and she takes up singing and dancing lessons. As Tara becomes a teenager, she begins to be physically and psychologically abused by her older brother Shawn. This abuse prompts Tara to understand the toxicity of home and therefore apply to college as an escape. Having only ever read religious doctrine, Tara begins to teach herself trigonometry and algebra. Both Tyler and Faye are supportive of Tara's academic pursuits, but Gene is skeptical. After receiving a 28 on the ACT, Tara applies to BYU and is accepted with a scholarship.
In Part Two, Tara begins her first year at Brigham Young University. Tara has a very difficult time adjusting to her new life, both at home and in the classroom. Her roommates are not as religious as she is, which challenges her perception of religion. Additionally, Tara's introductory classes lead her to confront the large gaps in her education. Although Tara initially seems to be failing some of her classes, she studies very diligently in order to maintain her scholarship. Unsure if she can return to BYU in the fall, Tara goes home for summer vacation and resumes working in the scrapyard. She also begins dating Charles, a boy in town. While at home, Shawn's abuse persists. However, halfway through the summer, Tara realizes that she has passed all of her classes and can return to BYU. After enrolling in her fall semester, Tara experiences various health issues. Over Thanksgiving break, Charles witnesses Shawn's abuse and urges Tara to report it. However, Tara doesn't want to, and the two break up.
Tara begins to visit her church’s bishop for weekly sessions. The bishop provides her with grant money, and Tara is able to pay her rent and receive much-needed dental care. During her senior year, Tara hears news that her father has suffered a terrible accident and may not survive. Tara rushes home to find that Gene has been severely burned during an explosion on the junkyard. Gene miraculously recovers due to Faye's herbal remedies, which prompts a new family business. Tara returns to BYU, where she learns that she has been accepted to Cambridge University for an exchange program. While at Cambridge, Tara grows close to Professor Jonathan Steinberg, who encourages her to return to Cambridge for graduate school. Tara is awarded the prestigious Gates scholarship and will study history at Trinity College, Cambridge in the fall.
In Part Three, Tara recounts her experiences at Cambridge. While receiving her MPhil, Tara has difficulty acclimating to social life and feels separate from her mostly upper-class colleagues. After befriending two female classmates, Tara undergoes a feminist awakening and realizes how her father's opinions regarding gender have greatly impacted her upbringing. Tara returns home for the holidays, where she learns that Emily, Shawn’s new wife, is a victim of Shawn's violent abuse. Following this incident, Audrey, Tara’s older sister, confides that she was also abused by Shawn before leaving home. Tara confronts her mother to tell her about Shawn’s behavior, and Tara soon discovers how her mother has long suffered due to Gene’s paranoia.
For her PhD dissertation, Tara decides to investigate Mormonism as an intellectual movement. Although her last encounter at Buck’s Peak was unpleasant, Tara feels a need to return home for Christmas. While there, Shawn tells Tara that he plans to kill Audrey for the attitudes that she holds against him. Disturbed by Shawn’s threatening language, Tara decides to finally confront her parents and notify them of Shawn’s dangerous behavior. Gene, however, is not receptive to Tara’s grievances. Instead, he denies Tara’s claims and insists that she needs proof for these accusations. Fearing for her safety, Tara avoids seeing Shawn while she is at home. However, Shawn finds Tara and eerily drops a bloody pocket knife in her hand. Tara flees home, deeply disturbed by Shawn’s escalating threats.
Back at Cambridge, Tara receives a letter from Audrey proclaiming that Shawn has been "saved by God" and is now absolved of his sins. Now, Gene, Faye, and Audrey are convinced that Tara has been “overtaken” by the devil due to her feelings towards Shawn. After Tara receives this letter, she knows that her familial relationship is irreversibly damaged. Tara dissociates and enters a deep depression. In September, Tara moves to Cambridge, Massachusetts to begin a fellowship at Harvard University.
One day, Tara receives news that her parents are coming to Harvard to “save her.” During their visit, Gene and Faye travel to the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, in hopes of reconverting Tara. Tara does not yield to their wishes, and Gene and Faye flee in a hurry. Following this experience, Tara experiences night terrors and stops working on her thesis. Tara returns to Buck's Peak in hopes of reconciliation. However, she realizes that there is no chance of mending her broken familial relationship. Tara returns to Cambridge, where she experiences a nervous breakdown and nearly fails her PhD. Things turn for the better when she begins enrolling in the university’s counseling service. She passes her dissertation and is proud of her accomplishments, but she understands that her success has resulted in her losing her family. She returns home once again.
While at home, Tara attempts to reconcile with Faye first. However, Faye refuses to meet her daughter without Gene and his approval. Tara first sees her family when she receives news that her grandmother has passed away. At the funeral, she sees all of her estranged siblings and their families. She explains that she made an annual effort to return home, even though her arrival was met by disapproval. The memoir concludes with Tara recognizing that her past self and present self can still coexist despite the alienation from her family. Most importantly, Tara credits her formal and informal education for allowing her to grow into the scholar and citizen she is today.
