Tara Westover, the acclaimed author of Educated, will speak and answer questions as part of the Moss Arts Center’s HomeStage series.

Livestreamed exclusively for the Moss Arts Center from her home, Westover will be interviewed by Amy Azano, associate professor in Virginia Tech’s School of Education, and answer audience members’ questions. The livestream begins February 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Individual tickets are free to Virginia Tech students and $10 for all others. Tickets are also included in the Moss Arts Center’s Spring Fan(fare) Pass. Tickets are available here.

Westover’s bestselling memoir, Educated, has captured worldwide attention. Growing up in rural Idaho in a survivalist family, Westover had no birth certificate and no formal schooling. At 17 she decided to educate herself, escaping her family to eventually earn a doctorate from Cambridge University.

Westover’s redemptive story shows how a young woman’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge leads her to break ties from an early life of hardship and brutality. She explores the tension between loyalty to one’s family and loyalty to oneself.

The New York Times called Westover’s bestseller “heart-wrenching…a beautiful testament to the power of education to open eyes and change lives.” 

A recording of the event will be available to ticket holders for viewing for seven days following the live event.

Azano’s research interests include rural literacies and the literacy needs of special populations, particularly those in rural communities.