We became more "Educated".

 The writing style, the story itself flowed, and it was an intense story.

But some parts of the story rang false. Especially when the father was badly burned, it did not seem he could have been medically treated in the way described and still have survived. Yes, the mother was very knowledgeable in herbs and plant-based treatments, but burns that severe could have easily turned life-threatening. And it seemed like everything aligned just right to allow her to progress in her education, and all the help she received. It seems like it would be hard enough to enter the educational system having little social history other that with your own family members and a small church circle. Going on the get a PhD, as well as studying abroad was something exceptional. The story was more about surviving than about education or religion. She was a true survivor and it was a miracle she lived through her father’s extremist beliefs. Some of us saw the theme “how you define the truth for yourself.” She had a life, thankfully none of us will ever experience, and now she has to decide what views she will define for herself. She definitely seemed to be suffering from PTSD. She also seemed to actively hurt herself by trying to reconnect with her family, hoping to change her relationship with them. Was she suffering from Stockholm Syndrome? Because her family was living in an isolated area, there were few chances that the state child welfare agency would have investigated the family’s living situation. This was a story that most all readers could relate to in some way.