2 Tara Westover lives in the mountains of Idaho and grows up in a family where shame and violence rule. Her father has mood swings and is probably bipolar, but sees himself as a messenger from God who keeps his family in line with the strictest Mormon rules. His children are homeschooled, but mainly spend their days helping him in the junkyard or building sheds and barns. A few of her older siblings try to leave for college and while they move away, the ties that bind this family together are very strong – they are the only ones who understand life as a Westover.