That’s one of the things I just could not stomach. If the Dad refused medical treatment for the family based on religious beliefs, I could try to understand that, as hard as it would be. But he sought out ways for his children to be hurt or killed – and in my mind, that made him a sadist and an abuser.
And I know I’m in the wrong when I say this, but I was fed up with Tara for continuing to go back to her abusers–especially her brother Shawn–expecting that this time things would be different. I realize (intellectually) that it’s a classic element of the abuser-victim relationship. My (emotional) unsympathetic response to her actions is probably a good example of why victims find it hard to get long-term help. I found this on a domestic violence site and it sounded a lot like Tara’s experience with her family:
Also, Tara’s dad and brother Shawn fit just about every category on the abuse wheel: https://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/abuse-defined/
Also, this is worth reading: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/millennial-media/201804/psychologists-take-tara-westovers-memoir-educated