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Educated

by Westover, Tara

By:

JeffcoBooks

Jefferson County Public Library

Staff-created list

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Similar to Educated, these are powerful memoirs, novels and movies about overcoming childhood adversity.

By:

JeffcoBooks

Jefferson County Public Library

18 items

18 items

The Only Girl in the World

The Only Girl in the World

A Memoir

by Julien, Maude

Book - 2017

Maude Julien's parents were fanatics who sought to turn her into the ultimate survivor through constant, elaborate abuse. But she befriended animals and r...Show more Maude Julien's parents were fanatics who sought to turn her into the ultimate survivor through constant, elaborate abuse. But she befriended animals and read novels in secret though her parents had forbidden compassion as weakness. When an outsider penetrated her family's paranoid world, Maude seized her opportunity to escape. Show less

Maude Julien's parents were fanatics who sought to turn her into the ultimate survivor through constant, elaborate abuse. But she befriended animals and r...Show more Maude Julien's parents were fanatics who sought to turn her into the ultimate survivor through constant, elaborate abuse. But she befriended animals and read novels in secret though her parents had forbidden compassion as weakness. When an outsider penetrated her family's paranoid world, Maude seized her opportunity to escape. Show less

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The Line Becomes A River

The Line Becomes A River

by Cantu, Francisco

Book - 2018

Francisco Cantú was raised by his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, in the scrublands of the Southwest. After college, Cantú join...Show more Francisco Cantú was raised by his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, in the scrublands of the Southwest. After college, Cantú joins the Border Patrol. Plagued by nightmares, he abandons the Patrol after 4 years for civilian life. But when an immigrant friend travels to Mexico to visit his dying mother and gets arrested upon his return, Cantú must know the whole story. Show less

Francisco Cantú was raised by his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, in the scrublands of the Southwest. After college, Cantú join...Show more Francisco Cantú was raised by his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, in the scrublands of the Southwest. After college, Cantú joins the Border Patrol. Plagued by nightmares, he abandons the Patrol after 4 years for civilian life. But when an immigrant friend travels to Mexico to visit his dying mother and gets arrested upon his return, Cantú must know the whole story. Show less

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The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle

A Memoir

by Walls, Jeannette

eBook - 2009

As a child, Jeannette Walls and her family lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. The dysfunctional family ende...Show more As a child, Jeannette Walls and her family lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. The dysfunctional family ended up in West Virginia where Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals. Finally they found the resources and will to leave home. Show less

As a child, Jeannette Walls and her family lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. The dysfunctional family ende...Show more As a child, Jeannette Walls and her family lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. The dysfunctional family ended up in West Virginia where Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals. Finally they found the resources and will to leave home. Show less

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The Marsh King's Daughter

The Marsh King's Daughter

by Dionne, Karen

eBook - 2017

Helena has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands...Show more Helena has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Now, 20 years later, her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marshland he knows better than anyone else in the world. Helena is the only person has the skills to find the survivalist known as the Marsh King. Show less

Helena has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands...Show more Helena has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Now, 20 years later, her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marshland he knows better than anyone else in the world. Helena is the only person has the skills to find the survivalist known as the Marsh King. Show less

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The End of Eddy

The End of Eddy

by Louis, Édouard

eBook - 2017

Growing up in a poor village in northern France, all Eddy Bellegueule wanted was to be a man in the eyes of his family and neighbors. But from childhood, ...Show more Growing up in a poor village in northern France, all Eddy Bellegueule wanted was to be a man in the eyes of his family and neighbors. But from childhood, he was different -- "girlish," intellectually precocious, and attracted to other men. Already translated into 20 languages, The End of Eddy captures the violence and desperation of life in a French factory town. It is also a sensitive, universal portrait of boyhood and sexual awakening. Show less

Growing up in a poor village in northern France, all Eddy Bellegueule wanted was to be a man in the eyes of his family and neighbors. But from childhood, ...Show more Growing up in a poor village in northern France, all Eddy Bellegueule wanted was to be a man in the eyes of his family and neighbors. But from childhood, he was different -- "girlish," intellectually precocious, and attracted to other men. Already translated into 20 languages, The End of Eddy captures the violence and desperation of life in a French factory town. It is also a sensitive, universal portrait of boyhood and sexual awakening. Show less

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North of Normal

North of Normal

A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Counterculture Family, and How I Survived Both

by Person, Cea Sunrise

eBook - 2014

In the late 1960s, Cea Sunrise Person's subversive family fled to the Canadian wilderness to grow pot, embrace free love and live off the land. A riveting...Show more In the late 1960s, Cea Sunrise Person's subversive family fled to the Canadian wilderness to grow pot, embrace free love and live off the land. A riveting memoir of growing up off the grid amid multiple generations of dysfunction, the book chronicles one woman's journey to reclaim her life on her own terms. Show less

In the late 1960s, Cea Sunrise Person's subversive family fled to the Canadian wilderness to grow pot, embrace free love and live off the land. A riveting...Show more In the late 1960s, Cea Sunrise Person's subversive family fled to the Canadian wilderness to grow pot, embrace free love and live off the land. A riveting memoir of growing up off the grid amid multiple generations of dysfunction, the book chronicles one woman's journey to reclaim her life on her own terms. Show less

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Heavy

Heavy

An American Memoir

by Laymon, Kiese

Book - 2018

In this powerful memoir, Laymon writes about growing up as a black man in the U.S., and the many complexities that accompany such a life. By attempting to...Show more In this powerful memoir, Laymon writes about growing up as a black man in the U.S., and the many complexities that accompany such a life. By attempting to name secrets and lies he and his mother spent a lifetime avoiding, Laymon asks himself, his mother and his nation to confront the terrifying possibility that few people know how to responsibly love, and even fewer want to live under the weight of actually becoming free. Show less

In this powerful memoir, Laymon writes about growing up as a black man in the U.S., and the many complexities that accompany such a life. By attempting to...Show more In this powerful memoir, Laymon writes about growing up as a black man in the U.S., and the many complexities that accompany such a life. By attempting to name secrets and lies he and his mother spent a lifetime avoiding, Laymon asks himself, his mother and his nation to confront the terrifying possibility that few people know how to responsibly love, and even fewer want to live under the weight of actually becoming free. Show less

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Priestdaddy

Priestdaddy

by Lockwood, Patricia

eBook - 2017

The author shares her memories of life with a married Catholic priest for a father, and how as an adult, she and her non-religious husband were forced to move back into her parents' rectory for eight months due to a crisis. The author shares her memories of life with a married Catholic priest for a father, and how as an adult, she and her non-religious husband were forced to move back into her parents' rectory for eight months due to a crisis. Show less

The author shares her memories of life with a married Catholic priest for a father, and how as an adult, she and her non-religious husband were forced to move back into her parents' rectory for eight months due to a crisis. The author shares her memories of life with a married Catholic priest for a father, and how as an adult, she and her non-religious husband were forced to move back into her parents' rectory for eight months due to a crisis. Show less

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Heartland

Heartland

A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth

by Smarsh, Sarah

eBook - 2018

An eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in the American Midwest. During Sarah Smarsh's turbulent childhood in Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s, the fo...Show more An eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in the American Midwest. During Sarah Smarsh's turbulent childhood in Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s, the forces of cyclical poverty and the country's changing economic policies solidified her family's place among the working poor. Smarsh challenges us to look more closely at the class divide in our country and examine the myths about people thought to be less because they earn less. Show less

An eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in the American Midwest. During Sarah Smarsh's turbulent childhood in Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s, the fo...Show more An eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in the American Midwest. During Sarah Smarsh's turbulent childhood in Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s, the forces of cyclical poverty and the country's changing economic policies solidified her family's place among the working poor. Smarsh challenges us to look more closely at the class divide in our country and examine the myths about people thought to be less because they earn less. Show less

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Southern Discomfort

Southern Discomfort

A Memoir

by Clark, Tena

Book - 2018

A coming-of-age memoir set in rural Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. Tena grew up in a violent, chaotic home but it was her black nanny who gave h...Show more A coming-of-age memoir set in rural Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. Tena grew up in a violent, chaotic home but it was her black nanny who gave her the courage to rebel against the cultural, racial, and sexual rules that defined her identity. Show less

A coming-of-age memoir set in rural Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. Tena grew up in a violent, chaotic home but it was her black nanny who gave h...Show more A coming-of-age memoir set in rural Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. Tena grew up in a violent, chaotic home but it was her black nanny who gave her the courage to rebel against the cultural, racial, and sexual rules that defined her identity. Show less

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The Sound of Gravel

The Sound of Gravel

A Memoir

by Wariner, Ruth

eBook - 2016

Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father's forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoo...Show more Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father's forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. As she begins to doubt her family's religious beliefs and question her mother's choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her determination to forge a better life for herself. Show less

Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father's forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoo...Show more Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father's forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. As she begins to doubt her family's religious beliefs and question her mother's choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her determination to forge a better life for herself. Show less

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Hollywood Park

Hollywood Park

A Memoir

by Jollett, Mikel

Book - 2020

Mikel Jollett's story opens in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country's most infamous a...Show more Mikel Jollett's story opens in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country's most infamous and dangerous cults. Jollett portrays a childhood filled with abject poverty, trauma, emotional abuse, delinquency and the lure of drugs and alcohol. He slowly, often painfully, builds a life that leads him to Stanford University and, eventually, to finding his voice as a writer and musician. Show less

Mikel Jollett's story opens in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country's most infamous a...Show more Mikel Jollett's story opens in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country's most infamous and dangerous cults. Jollett portrays a childhood filled with abject poverty, trauma, emotional abuse, delinquency and the lure of drugs and alcohol. He slowly, often painfully, builds a life that leads him to Stanford University and, eventually, to finding his voice as a writer and musician. Show less

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Ordinary Girls

Ordinary Girls

A Memoir

by Díaz, Jaquira

eBook - 2019

While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Diaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her...Show more While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Diaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was surrounded by the love of her friends; as she longed for a family and home, she found instead a life upended by violence. Diaz triumphantly maps a way out of despair toward love and hope to become her version of the girl she always wanted to be. Show less

While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Diaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her...Show more While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Diaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was surrounded by the love of her friends; as she longed for a family and home, she found instead a life upended by violence. Diaz triumphantly maps a way out of despair toward love and hope to become her version of the girl she always wanted to be. Show less

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The Unwinding of the Miracle

The Unwinding of the Miracle

A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After

by Yip-Williams, Julie

Book - 2019

Born blind in Vietnam, Julie Yip-Williams narrowly escaped euthanasia by her grandmother, then fled the political upheaval of the late 1970s with her fami...Show more Born blind in Vietnam, Julie Yip-Williams narrowly escaped euthanasia by her grandmother, then fled the political upheaval of the late 1970s with her family. Julie made it to Hong Kong and, ultimately, America, where a surgeon at UCLA gave her partial sight. Against all odds, she became a Harvard-educated lawyer, with a husband, a family, a life. Then, at age 37, Julie was diagnosed with terminal metastatic colon cancer, and a different journey began. Show less

Born blind in Vietnam, Julie Yip-Williams narrowly escaped euthanasia by her grandmother, then fled the political upheaval of the late 1970s with her fami...Show more Born blind in Vietnam, Julie Yip-Williams narrowly escaped euthanasia by her grandmother, then fled the political upheaval of the late 1970s with her family. Julie made it to Hong Kong and, ultimately, America, where a surgeon at UCLA gave her partial sight. Against all odds, she became a Harvard-educated lawyer, with a husband, a family, a life. Then, at age 37, Julie was diagnosed with terminal metastatic colon cancer, and a different journey began. Show less

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Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

by Winterson, Jeanette

Book - 2011

In this memoir, Winterson explores the roots of her drive to write and searches for her biological mother. Ultimately, readers learn about identity and what it means to feel loved when you aren't sure you have ever been wanted. In this memoir, Winterson explores the roots of her drive to write and searches for her biological mother. Ultimately, readers learn about identity and what it means to feel loved when you aren't sure you have ever been wanted. Show less

In this memoir, Winterson explores the roots of her drive to write and searches for her biological mother. Ultimately, readers learn about identity and what it means to feel loved when you aren't sure you have ever been wanted. In this memoir, Winterson explores the roots of her drive to write and searches for her biological mother. Ultimately, readers learn about identity and what it means to feel loved when you aren't sure you have ever been wanted. Show less

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The Great Alone

The Great Alone

by Hannah, Kristin

eBook - 2018

Lenora Allbright is 13 when her father convinces her mother, Cora, to forgo their inauspicious existence in Seattle and move to Kaneq, AK. It's 1974, and ...Show more Lenora Allbright is 13 when her father convinces her mother, Cora, to forgo their inauspicious existence in Seattle and move to Kaneq, AK. It's 1974, and her Vietnam-era veteran father sees a better future away from the noise and nightmares that plague him. Yet the harsh conditions bring out the worst in Ernt, whose paranoia takes over their lives and exacerbates what Leni sees as the toxic relationship between her parents. Show less

Lenora Allbright is 13 when her father convinces her mother, Cora, to forgo their inauspicious existence in Seattle and move to Kaneq, AK. It's 1974, and ...Show more Lenora Allbright is 13 when her father convinces her mother, Cora, to forgo their inauspicious existence in Seattle and move to Kaneq, AK. It's 1974, and her Vietnam-era veteran father sees a better future away from the noise and nightmares that plague him. Yet the harsh conditions bring out the worst in Ernt, whose paranoia takes over their lives and exacerbates what Leni sees as the toxic relationship between her parents. Show less

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Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace

DVD - 2018

Will and his teenage daughter, Tom, have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are p...Show more Will and his teenage daughter, Tom, have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland. Show less

Will and his teenage daughter, Tom, have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are p...Show more Will and his teenage daughter, Tom, have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland. Show less

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Captain Fantastic

Captain Fantastic

Downloadable Video - 2016

Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extra...Show more Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he's taught them. Show less

Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extra...Show more Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he's taught them. Show less

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