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Quick answer: If you loved Educated by Tara Westover, try The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman and Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
Educated was a huge bestseller and a favorite of book clubs and former President Obama. The books below are memoirs about difficult childhoods, escaping restrictive communities and finding your own path. Many deal with abuse, poverty or trauma, so we’ve noted content where it matters. All of them are true stories told with courage and honesty, and each one notes who it suits best.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Educated
Educated is Tara Westover’s memoir of growing up in a survivalist family in rural Idaho, with no school, no hospital visits and a dangerous scrapyard, and of teaching herself enough to get into college and eventually earn a PhD from Cambridge. It’s a story about family loyalty, the power of education and the cost of becoming someone new. If you loved its honesty, its resilience or its exploration of memory, these picks fit.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Educated: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Category | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Glass Castle | Jeannette Walls | Memoir | Unconventional childhoods |
| Hillbilly Elegy | J. D. Vance | Memoir | Rural poverty |
| Born a Crime | Trevor Noah | Memoir | Funny and moving |
| I’m Glad My Mom Died | Jennette McCurdy | Memoir | Breaking free from family |
| Unorthodox | Deborah Feldman | Memoir | Leaving a closed community |
| Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Memoir | Healing through challenge |
| Know My Name | Chanel Miller | Memoir | Finding your voice |
| Crying in H Mart | Michelle Zauner | Memoir | Mothers and identity |
| Heavy | Kiese Laymon | Memoir | Family and truth |
| The Liars’ Club | Mary Karr | Memoir | Classic family memoirs |
| Running with Scissors | Augusten Burroughs | Memoir | Bizarre childhoods |
| Stolen Innocence | Elissa Wall | Memoir | Escaping extremism |
| Angela’s Ashes | Frank McCourt | Memoir | Childhood poverty |
| A Promised Land | Barack Obama | Memoir | Ambition and education |
| Becoming | Michelle Obama | Memoir | Overcoming the odds |
1. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Walls grew up with brilliant but neglectful parents who moved constantly. It’s the closest match to Educated.
2. Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance
Vance describes growing up in a struggling Appalachian family. It’s widely discussed.
3. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Noah grew up mixed-race in apartheid South Africa. It’s hilarious and heartbreaking.
4. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The former child actor writes about her controlling mother and recovery. Content note: eating disorders.
5. Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman
Feldman escapes a Hasidic community in Brooklyn. It inspired a Netflix series.
6. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
After loss, Strayed hikes 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone.
7. Know My Name by Chanel Miller
The survivor in the Stanford assault case tells her story. It’s powerful. Content note: sexual assault.
8. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Zauner writes about her Korean mother’s death and food.
9. Heavy by Kiese Laymon
Laymon writes to his mother about growing up Black in Mississippi.
10. The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr
Karr’s darkly funny memoir of a chaotic Texas childhood.
11. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Burroughs was given to his mother’s psychiatrist’s chaotic family. It’s dark and funny.
12. Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall
Wall escapes the FLDS polygamist sect and testifies against its leader.
13. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir of an impoverished Irish childhood.
14. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Obama’s memoir of his rise and first term. He named Educated a favorite.
15. Becoming by Michelle Obama
Obama’s journey from Chicago’s South Side to the White House.
How to Pick Your Next Read After Educated
- Want the closest match? The Glass Castle.
- Want escape stories? Unorthodox and Stolen Innocence.
- Want humor? Born a Crime.
- Want healing journeys? Wild.
- Book club pick? The Glass Castle sparks great talk.
- Take care. Several memoirs deal with abuse.
Memoirs as a Book Club Choice
Memoirs like Educated make excellent book club picks because they raise questions about memory, truth and family loyalty. Westover’s family disputes parts of her account, which is a great discussion starter about how two people can remember the same events differently. Many of the picks above, especially The Glass Castle and Hillbilly Elegy, work the same way. Pairing a memoir with a novel on similar themes, like Where the Crawdads Sing, can make for a lively meeting.
Related: Educated summary and Educated book club discussion questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after Educated?
Try The Glass Castle, Hillbilly Elegy, Born a Crime or Unorthodox.
What memoir is most like Educated?
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is the most similar.
Are there memoirs about leaving religious communities?
Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman and Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall describe leaving closed communities.