I hosted my Book Club about two weeks ago for a discussion and lunch for the book, Educated, by Tara Westover.

MY TABLESCAPE

The yellow flowers I used for my table were disbud.  Disbud were the closest flowers I could find in my local grocery stores to replicate Calendula flowers which were mentioned in the book.  Calendula flowers can be harvested, and then be used as a medicine (which is what the author’s mother did in her role as a midwife and healer).

TABLE DETAILS

The objects displayed on my table were items that were mentioned in the book, and had some relevance to the author’s life.

Idaho potatoes, ACT Study Guide Book, pencils, dried herbs*, lobelia*…

*All three baggies on the table were meant to be symbolic of the seeds and herbs the author’s mother used (& the author helped with at times) to use as a midwife and healer.  (The bags on my table, as you may guess, are just spices.)

Lobelia, fyi, is used to treat a shortness of breath in newborn infants, and breathing problems such as bronchitis and asthma.

Vocals for Mormon Hymns and “Tommorrow” from the play, Annie

Birth certificate papers

Honey… “The next morning Dad purged our fridge of milk, yogurt and cheese, and that evening when he came home, his truck was loaded with fifty gallons of honey.”

Book of Mormon, Witch Hazel*, Symbol for the Illuminati…

Witch Hazel, fyi, is used to treat skin conditions

LUNCH IS SERVED

Some of the dishes I served were mentioned in Educated

Canned Peaches

Home-canned peaches were stockpiled in the Westover home in preparation for the end of the world/survival.

Casserole

Her mother makes a beef and potato casserole for dinner one day.  Mormons eat a lot of casseroles.  {The casserole I served was chicken.}

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ms. Westover recalls her Grandmother-Over-in-Town making chocolate chip cookies.

THE BOOK & DISCUSSION

Reading the beginning of the book rang memories of two of our Book Club’s previous reads: The Great Alone (coming of age, fear of government control intervention, stockpiling food for survival reasons of both hiding from the government and food needed for winter ), and Lights Out (Mormons’ way of life of storing a six month supply of food).  A few of us thought this was one of the craziest books we’ve ever read.  By no means, though, are we questioning the truthfulness of Ms. Westover’s memoir.

  There is so much material in this book to have a great discussion from it, which our Book Club did.  Highly recommended for all Book Clubs.