Fiction

Lessons in Chemistry

Lessons in Chemistry

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  • Create Date：2022-03-24 00:52:39
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Bonnie Garmus
  • ISBN：0857528122
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Summary

'Your ability to change everything - including yourself - starts here' ELIZABETH ZOTT
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Set in 1960s California; Lessons In Chemistry is the brilliant， idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home - something she most definitely does not believe - only to find herself the star of America's best-loved TV cooking show。
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Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman。 In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing。

But it's the 1960s， and despite the fact that she is a scientist， her male peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality。 The only good thing to happen on her road to professional fulfilment is a run-in with famous colleague Calvin Evans， legend and Nobel nominee。 He's also awkward， kind and tenacious。 Theirs is true chemistry。

But life is never predictable and three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed， single mother and star of America's best loved cooking show Supper at Six。 Her singular approach to cooking - 'take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride' - and empowering message prove revolutionary。 Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching housewives how to cook， but how to change their lives。

Meet the unconventional， uncompromising Elizabeth Zott

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Reviews

Kristen McDermott ，

My review of this book will appear in Historical Novels Review 100 （May 2022）。

B。P。 ，

A book hasn’t made me this happy in a long time。 Is it too corny that I want to write “chefs kiss“ as the whole review！？ I loved every character， and Six-Thirty -– maybe my favorite dog ever written！

Trigger Warning Database ，

Trigger & Content Warnings:MisogynyAttempted rape & sexual assault Child abuse mentionedWorkplace sexual harassmentDeath of a parentCar accident， on-page

Teresa ，

I love this book。 I'd give it 6 stars if I could。 Set in the early 1960's， Elizabeth Zott is working as a chemist at Hastings， a research institute in Commons， California。 She is the only woman scientist on staff， and has to deal with sexism and sexual harassment （and worse） from her male coworkers on a daily basis， as well as jealousy and resentment from the （non-scientist） women who work there。 Elizabeth first meets the institute superstar， Calvin Evans， when she goes to his lab in search of s I love this book。 I'd give it 6 stars if I could。 Set in the early 1960's， Elizabeth Zott is working as a chemist at Hastings， a research institute in Commons， California。 She is the only woman scientist on staff， and has to deal with sexism and sexual harassment （and worse） from her male coworkers on a daily basis， as well as jealousy and resentment from the （non-scientist） women who work there。 Elizabeth first meets the institute superstar， Calvin Evans， when she goes to his lab in search of some beakers and he mistakes her for a secretary。 Despite this rocky start， they soon realize that they have chemistry; in fact， they are soulmates。 Unfortunately， life， like chemistry， is about change and change isn't always good。 Elizabeth finds herself a single mother， fired from Hastings and looking for a way to continue being a chemist。 She ends up being hired to host an afternoon cooking show on TV， where she defies management by turning cooking into chemistry lessons for housewives， boosting their self-confidence and introducing them to feminist ideas。 Even though Garmus deals with the pervasive discrimination against and harassment of women with humor， this book makes me realize how very fortunate I am to belong to my generation and not Elizabeth Zott's。 The characters are vibrant and wonderfully quirky。 I found the book almost impossible to put down; the writing is fluid and there are no dull moments from start to end。 。。。more

Francis M。 Torres ，

OMG！ I loved this book so much！ Don't let the title fool you， everything about chemistry was so easy to understand， even when used scientific terms for food， or vice versa， I couldn't stop laughing。 I loved Elizabeth， her daughter， her romance with Calvin， the other important people in her life as she evolved but also stood true to herself。 I was not born in the 60's， I knew it was hard in those times for women to have their own ANYTHING， AND to even be taken serious， but I loved the humor of it OMG！ I loved this book so much！ Don't let the title fool you， everything about chemistry was so easy to understand， even when used scientific terms for food， or vice versa， I couldn't stop laughing。 I loved Elizabeth， her daughter， her romance with Calvin， the other important people in her life as she evolved but also stood true to herself。 I was not born in the 60's， I knew it was hard in those times for women to have their own ANYTHING， AND to even be taken serious， but I loved the humor of it， I can't say this enough I laughed so hard in this book， between Mad， her daughter and Elizabeth， I couldn't get enough。 This author did something that I never read， she gave us point of views from each and every single involved in this book in any way even if they played a small part in the story， which I LOVED！ These are smart ass women right here！！！！ Mad as well， I enjoyed her so much she is too cute， smart as hell。 There were so many hidden gems that I took away from this book; "Courage is the root of change- and change is what we're chemically designed to do" and "When in doubt， pretend。"Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this gem！ Congrats Bonnie！！！！ 。。。more

Niamh ，

I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and Random House UK。 T/W: Graphic sexual assault， mentions of death/sudden death， sexism。 Life is too short to read bad books and books that are badly blurbed。 It's time， once again， for an unpopular opinion。 'Lessons in Chemistry'， according to its blurb is about:'Set in 1960s California; Lessons In Chemistry is the brilliant， idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is derailed by the idea that a woman's pl I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and Random House UK。 T/W: Graphic sexual assault， mentions of death/sudden death， sexism。 Life is too short to read bad books and books that are badly blurbed。 It's time， once again， for an unpopular opinion。 'Lessons in Chemistry'， according to its blurb is about:'Set in 1960s California; Lessons In Chemistry is the brilliant， idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home - something she most definitely does not believe - only to find herself the star of America's best-loved TV cooking show。"Except it's not about that。 Maybe 20% of the book is about that。 And I felt so angry when I got to the halfway point of the novel AND NOTHING HAD HAPPENED。 Literally。 Nothing。 This novel is basically entirely set-up， tangents and occasionally some actual plot。 Whilst the set-up is necessary， it goes on for WAY too long， dissolves into multiple tangents that don't particularly add to the story itself and doesn't actually start getting to the point until halfway through， by which you've forced yourself to read about sexism in the workplace and Catholic all-boys schools that mess up people。 Which is fine！ But that's not what this book said it was going to be。 I found the writing really difficult to get absorbed in。 Everything is over-explained - information is spoon-fed to us， rather than allowing action to dictate how we understand these characters。 And they are interesting characters - Mad and Harriet are particular favourites。 But they're never given much chance to grow or develop because Garmus is so focused on telling us every minute detail of their backgrounds and what they did last Thursday。 I got bored so quickly because everything was moving at a snail's pace。 And when things DID happen - they were great！ So what happened to make the rest of the novel so。。。desperately boring？ 'Lessons in Chemistry' has good intentions - and I really wanted to love it - but it's hindered significantly by over-writing， too much exposition that drags on for too long and not enough time spent on the exciting， core crux of the story - the TV show and Elizabeth's role in it。 I couldn't even force myself to get to the end。 It felt like physical effort to turn the pages。Also， to paraphrase Romola Garai - I don't think anyone really needs to scene another rape scene in a book again。 Fair warning， it comes out of nowhere and is a real kick in the teeth。 It didn't need it。 There were other ways to get the same purpose of the scene。 It was unnecessary and that made me even angrier。 Knowing my luck， this will get so much hype， everyone will love it - and I will be here。 It's like 'Exciting Times' all over again。 。。。more

what。heather。loves ，

"CHEMISTRY IS CHANGE， she wrote。 'Whenever you start doubting yourself'， she said， tuening back to the audience， 'whenever you feel afraid， just remember。 Courage is the root of changes - and change is what we're chemically designed to do。。。Do not allow your take talents to lie dormant， ladies。 Design your own future。 In early 1960s California， unmarried chemist， Elizabeth Zott has spent her life fighting ignorance， misogyny， trauma and tragedy。 After many years wasted working at Hastings Labora "CHEMISTRY IS CHANGE， she wrote。 'Whenever you start doubting yourself'， she said， tuening back to the audience， 'whenever you feel afraid， just remember。 Courage is the root of changes - and change is what we're chemically designed to do。。。Do not allow your take talents to lie dormant， ladies。 Design your own future。 In early 1960s California， unmarried chemist， Elizabeth Zott has spent her life fighting ignorance， misogyny， trauma and tragedy。 After many years wasted working at Hastings Laboratory， she finds herself presenting a TV cookery show， Supper At Six， with a difference - colourful and intelligent Zott demonstrates cookery through science， but she is also demonstrating to her housewife audience that they too can challenge the role society gives them， instead of spending their time sparing mens' blushes and meeting mens' needs。 As ever there are many who will stand in Zott's way， will she succeed？Oh Elizabeth Zott！ I felt for her because she is ahead of her time and because she achieves so much despite setbacks and obstacles。 Her great loves with Calvin and daughter Madeline， not forgetting her hilarious dog， named sixthirty （who has a surprisingly large vocabulary） are woven into this inspiring and involving historical fiction。 A vibrant tale of hope and being authentic， you will love meeting Elizabeth Zott。 Already optioned for TV （with Brie Larson as Zott）， I loved this original debut novel。Thanks to Alison Barrow for my gifted advanced copy。 。。。more

Alissa ，

I loved everything about this。

Gail ，

Thank you Double Day for your suggestion to read Lessons in Chemistry。 This was not a book I would have chosen for myself but when I received the recommendation I thought I might as well give it a try and I'm so glad I did。 Perhaps I related to it a bit more because I too grew up in that era， an era when women became nurses but never doctors and secretary but never the boss。 Elizabeth Zott struggles to be the best she can be， the best mother， the best chemist but it is an uphill battle。 Elizabet Thank you Double Day for your suggestion to read Lessons in Chemistry。 This was not a book I would have chosen for myself but when I received the recommendation I thought I might as well give it a try and I'm so glad I did。 Perhaps I related to it a bit more because I too grew up in that era， an era when women became nurses but never doctors and secretary but never the boss。 Elizabeth Zott struggles to be the best she can be， the best mother， the best chemist but it is an uphill battle。 Elizabeth， Calvin and Mad are such real characters。 You get pulled right into their story。 This is a book that will make you laugh; it will make you cry; and it will make you angry。 But the strength in the characters gives you hope that things have and will continue to change for the better。#NetGalley#LessonsinChemistry 。。。more

Stephanie ，

Lessons in Chemistry is an absolute charm to read。 It is quirky， funny， a little offbeat and wonderful！ The story of Elizabeth Zott， a young female chemist in the 1950s， the novel follows her as she tries to get a job in her field but experiences sexual discrimination at every turn。 But Elizabeth will not take it lying down and tries to fight the systemic barriers she faces。 She is a wonderful character， prickly at times but always with a kind heart。 The plotting and pacing are well done and the Lessons in Chemistry is an absolute charm to read。 It is quirky， funny， a little offbeat and wonderful！ The story of Elizabeth Zott， a young female chemist in the 1950s， the novel follows her as she tries to get a job in her field but experiences sexual discrimination at every turn。 But Elizabeth will not take it lying down and tries to fight the systemic barriers she faces。 She is a wonderful character， prickly at times but always with a kind heart。 The plotting and pacing are well done and the secondary characters - including Mad， Elizabeth’s precocious daughter， Six Thirty， Elizabeth’s dog who understands over 900 words！， Harriet， Elizabeth’s older friend， and Reverend Wakely - add lovely depth to the novel。 I ADORED this novel and highly recommend it！ Wishing the author so much success with this charming， funny， full-of-heart novel which I hope will be the hit it deserves to be！Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada snd Netgalley for an early reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Emma ，

I am officially an Elizabeth Zott fangirl！ She is hands down， my favourite fictional character。 If you couldn’t guess from that sentence， I bloody loved Lessons In Chemistry。 Bonnie Garmus is a genius， she’s written something touching， funny and also incredibly important。 Lessons In Chemistry is a reminder that you don’t have to settle， you can change your life， you can fight against the expectations the world （men！） have of women。 Oooh that made me feel quite empowered writing that。I love that I am officially an Elizabeth Zott fangirl！ She is hands down， my favourite fictional character。 If you couldn’t guess from that sentence， I bloody loved Lessons In Chemistry。 Bonnie Garmus is a genius， she’s written something touching， funny and also incredibly important。 Lessons In Chemistry is a reminder that you don’t have to settle， you can change your life， you can fight against the expectations the world （men！） have of women。 Oooh that made me feel quite empowered writing that。I love that Elizabeth is a scientist， I love books that feature lady scientists。 Her work environment is full of people determined to ignore her brilliance and she doesn’t take that lightly， proving herself at every turn and smashing those bonds placed on her by others。 I adore her relationship with Calvin， it is not a conventional relationship but nothing about Elizabeth is conventional！ And the union creates Mad， who is the possibly the best four year old ever。 The family is completed by Six-Thirty， a dog who very much chooses them as his new home。Lessons In Chemistry is a book I’m shouting about， I’m so excited for people to discover it and fall in love with Elizabeth。 This is a read that is full of heart， hilarious and inspirational ‘Cooking is chemistry…。 And chemistry is life。 Your ability to change everything – including yourself – starts here。 。。。more

suze joyce ，

I absolutely devoured and loved this book。 What an eye opener for anyone living after 2000。 It's hard to believe how women were treated in the work force especially in the world of science。 While there is still a way to go， it has come a long way。 Lessons in Chemistry has quirky characters that you will fall in love with。 They are brilliant， determined and very matter of fact right down to 6:30 the rescue dog who explains life as he sees it。 You may even pick up some Science as this is the way I I absolutely devoured and loved this book。 What an eye opener for anyone living after 2000。 It's hard to believe how women were treated in the work force especially in the world of science。 While there is still a way to go， it has come a long way。 Lessons in Chemistry has quirky characters that you will fall in love with。 They are brilliant， determined and very matter of fact right down to 6:30 the rescue dog who explains life as he sees it。 You may even pick up some Science as this is the way I believe many would learn。 （ I even asked my Science teacher in Holistic Nutrition， could she relate the chemistry to how we would use it in our practice。 She looked at me like I was crazy while a substitute teacher did just that and we never forgot the Krebs cycle。） This is a book that will have you thinking for years to come。 。。。more

Jordan ，

Children， set the table。Your mother needs a moment to herself。Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the e-ARC of one of my new favorite books。The easiest 5 stars I have ever given。 I am so jealous of anyone who gets to read this for the first time。 This was truly one of the best reading experiences I have ever had。 I am usually able to write my reviews pretty quickly but I am having trouble putting my thoughts into coherent words this time because I loved this book SO much。 I have neve Children， set the table。Your mother needs a moment to herself。Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the e-ARC of one of my new favorite books。The easiest 5 stars I have ever given。 I am so jealous of anyone who gets to read this for the first time。 This was truly one of the best reading experiences I have ever had。 I am usually able to write my reviews pretty quickly but I am having trouble putting my thoughts into coherent words this time because I loved this book SO much。 I have never read anything quite like this and I’m sure I never will again。Ok， here goes。 My very thought was that the cover is so fun。 For some reason it reminded me of watching Bewitched reruns after school in the 90s。 Then I read that it was about a no-nonsense， feminist， chemist-plus-cooking-show-host， I was sold。 I absolutely loved the premise， and the setting （hello 60s！）， and the book itself did not disappoint。Without giving anything away （I am trying to avoid a spoiler tag）， this book has the most perfect cast of wild-yet-real characters。 From Elizabeth herself to her great love （the brilliant yet famously "unlikeable" Calvin Evans）， to Elizabeth’s indominable mini named Mad， to the family dog named Six Thirty （who helps narrate the story from his own POV）， each one is a perfect representation of how our differences are what make us special。 After reading， my nostalgia for Bewitched pretty much applied to the cover only， but while reading I thought of the perfect comparison （for anyone who cares comparisons）: this book is what it would look like if Frederik Backman wrote a rendition of the 1980 movie 9 to 5 （based on the Dolly song）， but with Temperance Brennan as the protagonist。 That being said， the book is also completely original and in a league of its own。 It is as serious as it is zany， as brave as it is light， as silly as it is smart， as infuriating as it is satisfying。 It tackles difficult topics like abuse， sexism， addiction， death， and more， but was somehow still whimsical， inspiring and charming throughout。 I recommend jumping in with an open mind and heart。 This book is an absolute gem and its inevitable praise is so well deserved。 I do not have one single critical thing to say or one single thing I would change。 If you can’t tell from my review， this has become a new favorite of mine。 I am so hoping Ms。 Garmus comes out with another book soon！！！ 。。。more

Robin | BookAdoration Marchadour ，

I loved all the witty science banter in this book！ Elizabeth and Calvin have the sweetest relationship。 🥰 Also， their dog Thirty-Six has the most adorable personality！This story takes place during the 1960’s。 Elizabeth is a female chemist， the only one in her department。 The misogyny is this book is maddening but it does not deter Elizabeth from standing up for herself。 Her male colleagues expect her to make coffee， assist， make copies and do other “women’s” work。 Elizabeth is not so easily sway I loved all the witty science banter in this book！ Elizabeth and Calvin have the sweetest relationship。 🥰 Also， their dog Thirty-Six has the most adorable personality！This story takes place during the 1960’s。 Elizabeth is a female chemist， the only one in her department。 The misogyny is this book is maddening but it does not deter Elizabeth from standing up for herself。 Her male colleagues expect her to make coffee， assist， make copies and do other “women’s” work。 Elizabeth is not so easily swayed and is seen as obstinate by her colleagues。 Her headstrong attitude and their inability to appreciate her worth leads to her walking out of the lab in search of a better opportunity。 Fate leads Elizabeth to Walter， a television producer who is looking for a host for his new cooking show。 He needs a pretty face to host the show and she needs the money。 Elizabeth refuses to follow the script and she incorporates chemistry practices and terminology into the recipes。 The cooking show is an utter disaster or is it？ 🤔Thank you to @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。#bookadoration #bookstagram #canadianbookstagram #netgalley #lessonsinchemistry #bonniegarmus #doubledaybooks 。。。more

Ann ，

Although a little slow to get going， Lessons in Chemistry is a fun must read！ I’d categorize under historical fiction。。 Women have made some progress how they are viewed/valued in society and in the world of Science but there’s still a long journey ahead。。 Bonnie Garmus writes beautifully and takes us back to a time that ‘Baby Boomers’ have probably heard their mothers tell stories about ……。。。Highly recommend！Thank you to NetGalley， Penguin Random House Canada and Bonnie Garmus for the opportuni Although a little slow to get going， Lessons in Chemistry is a fun must read！ I’d categorize under historical fiction。。 Women have made some progress how they are viewed/valued in society and in the world of Science but there’s still a long journey ahead。。 Bonnie Garmus writes beautifully and takes us back to a time that ‘Baby Boomers’ have probably heard their mothers tell stories about ……。。。Highly recommend！Thank you to NetGalley， Penguin Random House Canada and Bonnie Garmus for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC。 。。。more

Naomi Wellings ，

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus had me engrossed from the start。 The main character and heroine， Elizabeth Zott， is a chemist who believes that understanding chemistry is the key to understanding everything。 The story follows her life as a chemist， mother and tv cook， exploring feminism， gender equality and cultural stereotypes of the 1960s。 There is a strong thread of being true to yourself which runs throughout， and I found it a thought-provoking read which explored themes relevant in to Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus had me engrossed from the start。 The main character and heroine， Elizabeth Zott， is a chemist who believes that understanding chemistry is the key to understanding everything。 The story follows her life as a chemist， mother and tv cook， exploring feminism， gender equality and cultural stereotypes of the 1960s。 There is a strong thread of being true to yourself which runs throughout， and I found it a thought-provoking read which explored themes relevant in today's world。 Garmus' characters are all well portrayed - I particularly loved the character of Zott's dog， Six-Thirty！ Definitely a book I'll be reccomending to others。With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Danielle ，

I wanted to love this book。 I went in with such high expectations from other reviews but honestly I debated numerous times if I should even finish it。 The main character Elizabeth， was not a character I found to be very likeable。 She’s a scientist in 1955 at a time when women were not scientist but instead of making it easier for other women in her feet steps I feel that she is just constantly making it harder。 She is supposed to be very intelligent but I actually found her not to be but not in I wanted to love this book。 I went in with such high expectations from other reviews but honestly I debated numerous times if I should even finish it。 The main character Elizabeth， was not a character I found to be very likeable。 She’s a scientist in 1955 at a time when women were not scientist but instead of making it easier for other women in her feet steps I feel that she is just constantly making it harder。 She is supposed to be very intelligent but I actually found her not to be but not in a funny way like other reviews led me to believe。 I was confused by the way some chapters seemed to happen in different years。 One paragraph would be about the present and then it would jump back and it was sometimes hard to follow and I’d find myself scrolling back to see where I was。 This book also takes place from multiple peoples point of views but never tells you at the beginning of the chapter。 At one point you are even getting the dogs point of view。 Overall this book is way to long and drawn out。 I felt at times that I was being lectured to about chemistry and found myself skimming the pages just to get to the end， if I hadn’t needed to review it I wouldn’t have finished it。 Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Sandra The Old Woman in a Van ，

I'm a female scientist in her sixties， and this book hit the mark。 Bullseye。 Lessons in Chemistry is dark satire at its best。 Be ready to laugh out loud， but with some discomfort， as much of the content is very real and sometimes very dark。 That said， it's also warm and endearing。 One of my favorite aspects of the novel is how a cast of quirky characters end up family-by-choice。 So get ready to laugh， cry， and get angry simultaneously。 It's that kind of book。I predict you will enjoy this book if I'm a female scientist in her sixties， and this book hit the mark。 Bullseye。 Lessons in Chemistry is dark satire at its best。 Be ready to laugh out loud， but with some discomfort， as much of the content is very real and sometimes very dark。 That said， it's also warm and endearing。 One of my favorite aspects of the novel is how a cast of quirky characters end up family-by-choice。 So get ready to laugh， cry， and get angry simultaneously。 It's that kind of book。I predict you will enjoy this book if:-You love a bit of snark （or a lot of snark）。-You're a feminist and proponent of the me-too movement。-You enjoy dark humor （because you will encounter just about every trigger possible）。-You are a rower。You may want to reconsider reading this book if:-You're upset by any discussion of atheism。-You are bothered by sentient animal characters （some sections are from the point of view of the family dog）。-You aren't a rower and don't want to read rowing humor （cause there is a fair amount in the book）。 I don't row， but a daughter did， so I could relate - sort of。Garmus made a lot of effort to get the chemistry correct in her novel。 I might have corrected a few minor things， but overall， the science aspect of the story is exceptional。 I have one final kudos for Garmus。 THANK YOU for going nuclear on the worst elementary school project ever invented- the ubiquitous family tree。 Just thank you， from a single mom of a large family formed by adoption and birth - a family that never fit （and never wanted to fit） on the stupid tree posters every one of my children brought home and agonized over。 Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an electronic version of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Erica ，

I expected to love this book。 It has all the ingredients of a great read: smart， quirky protagonist; witty narration; science。 But those things didn't come together well for me， and my four-star rating is more a recognition of the author's talent than a reflection of my enjoyment of her work。First， the author's talent。 The story is a good one， full of pathos but winding to a satisfyingly upbeat conclusion。 The main character， Elizabeth， experiences setback after setback， turning many of those lo I expected to love this book。 It has all the ingredients of a great read: smart， quirky protagonist; witty narration; science。 But those things didn't come together well for me， and my four-star rating is more a recognition of the author's talent than a reflection of my enjoyment of her work。First， the author's talent。 The story is a good one， full of pathos but winding to a satisfyingly upbeat conclusion。 The main character， Elizabeth， experiences setback after setback， turning many of those losses into gains through intelligence and persistence。 The story is populated by a large cast of side characters， many of them brilliantly sketched in only a few sentences。 The prose is evocative but concise， and often quite funny。 Second， my enjoyment of the novel - or lack thereof。 I found Elizabeth to be an impossibly flat character: she is smart and capable and determined， but the omniscient narration rarely delves into her feelings。 There are plenty of events in the story that might provide an opportunity - sexual assault， losing her job， falling in love， having a child - but there is little time spent on Elizabeth's feelings or thoughts; she simply adjusts course as necessary and continues to pursue her goals。 Other characters， even minor ones， were given much greater emotional depth， and I found myself more interested in their stories。But this is Elizabeth's story， and she is a black box in the center of it。 We don't know what's within her， and what will come out is predictable。 She is brilliant; she is sensible; she cares only about chemistry。 After a while， I wasn't very interested in her。[I received a complimentary ARP; review is voluntary and opinions are my own。] 。。。more

joyce w。 laudon ，

Unique， original， funny， poignant…I find that all of these words can be overused when praising books but this time， in my opinion， they are truly deserved。 This novel is like none other that I have read although there is some connection to The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano in terms of what does it mean to become a parent when a woman does/did not wish to。 Otherwise， the protagonists of the two books are quite different。Lessons in Chemistry includes such a wonder box of treasures。 Why is there a Unique， original， funny， poignant…I find that all of these words can be overused when praising books but this time， in my opinion， they are truly deserved。 This novel is like none other that I have read although there is some connection to The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano in terms of what does it mean to become a parent when a woman does/did not wish to。 Otherwise， the protagonists of the two books are quite different。Lessons in Chemistry includes such a wonder box of treasures。 Why is there a dog named 6:30 of all things？ What will you think of his tragedy early in the book but his vigilance afterwards？ Will you enjoy his empathy and understanding along with his understanding of a wide vocabulary？ What would lead a baby to be named Mad？ What are ergs doing in the story？Readers become intimately acquainted with the idiosyncratic Elizabeth Zott。 She is a woman placed in the wrong time by history。 It is the 1950s into the 60s。 She WANTS to be a chemist and a working woman who is respected but the times challenge her。 Look for her work around to solve this。Lessons in Chemistry refers， in part， to the science of cooking。 What leads Elizabeth to be the host of TV cooking show？ She is no Julia Child to be sure。I loved this book！ There were times when I laughed out loud。 Anyone who may have found the transition to a life full of baby demands will know what Elizabeth is experiencing。 There were many moments when I felt for the characters as they tried to get through their lives。I highly recommend this title。 Let me know what you think。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Taylor | taylsbookshelf ，

"Because when women understand chemistry， they begin to understand how things work。"This is one of my favorite books I've read this year。 The premise is great and very unique - Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1950s and faces many extra challenges as not only a professional working woman， but a woman pursuing a career in a STEM field。 It is such a poignant story about overcoming tragedy， sexism， sticking to your beliefs and who you are despite not fitting into societal norms， and finding your "Because when women understand chemistry， they begin to understand how things work。"This is one of my favorite books I've read this year。 The premise is great and very unique - Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1950s and faces many extra challenges as not only a professional working woman， but a woman pursuing a career in a STEM field。 It is such a poignant story about overcoming tragedy， sexism， sticking to your beliefs and who you are despite not fitting into societal norms， and finding your family/support group even if they are not blood relatives。 So many of the messages in the book stuck with me - as an applied math major in college - it was so interesting reading about a woman in STEM in the 50s and thinking about how much has changed （and unfortunately how much is still the same） in the past 70 years。 I also had a soft spot for how prominently rowing was featured in this novel - as a former rower I thought the sport was portrayed so accurately and it was so fun to read about the character's relationship with the sport。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt out of place， who has persevered against the odds and defied what others may believe you're capable of。 It was such an inspiring and heartwarming story。Thank you NetGalley， Doubleday Books and Bonnie Garmus for the eARC of this one！ 。。。more

Judy Odom ，

Lessons is Chemistry is priceless。I wish there was more than 5 stars。I laughed out loud many times， I cheered Elizabeth on as she tries to change things for women and I cried with her。I certainly agreed with her saying you go Elizabeth ！！Her daughter Mad is the best and wise beyond her years。 Six-Thirty the dog almost stole the show。 Lessons in Chemistry will be a big Book Club hit 。Don't miss this book， in fact put it to the top of your TBR pile。I have pre ordered this for my daughter。 Thanks t Lessons is Chemistry is priceless。I wish there was more than 5 stars。I laughed out loud many times， I cheered Elizabeth on as she tries to change things for women and I cried with her。I certainly agreed with her saying you go Elizabeth ！！Her daughter Mad is the best and wise beyond her years。 Six-Thirty the dog almost stole the show。 Lessons in Chemistry will be a big Book Club hit 。Don't miss this book， in fact put it to the top of your TBR pile。I have pre ordered this for my daughter。 Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada， Doubleday Canada for a fantastic read。 。。。more

Kelly ，

Lessons in Chemistry is Bonnie Garmus’ stellar debut。 This book is an absolute force to behold; it is so very good and an easy 5 star。Lessons in Chemistry takes place in the early 1960s and follows the life of Elizabeth Zott。 Zott is not your average woman， and she would be first to point out that no such thing exists。 The problem， however， is that the people around Zott don’t take her seriously as a chemist， after all she is female and it’s the ‘60s。 That is except for Dr Evans， a famous scient Lessons in Chemistry is Bonnie Garmus’ stellar debut。 This book is an absolute force to behold; it is so very good and an easy 5 star。Lessons in Chemistry takes place in the early 1960s and follows the life of Elizabeth Zott。 Zott is not your average woman， and she would be first to point out that no such thing exists。 The problem， however， is that the people around Zott don’t take her seriously as a chemist， after all she is female and it’s the ‘60s。 That is except for Dr Evans， a famous scientist in his own right。 Zott and Evans fall in love， but as with science life is unpredictable。 A few years later Zott finds herself not in a lab but behind the screen of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six。 She is also the single mother to the incredible Mad Zott。 But what happens when Elizabeth tries to teach her audience more than just to cook， and instead has them questioning the status quo？ I absolutely loved Lessons in Chemistry from start to finish。 Garmus has written an absolutely exceptional story with characters that you simply will not forgot。 Elizabeth Zott really is a fascinating protagonist。 She is incredibly smart， driven and uncompromising， the problem， however， is that she is a woman in the ‘60s。 The way that Garmus presents Elizabeth’s view of the patriarchal society that finds herself in is simply brilliant， whereby she is constantly pushing back on and questioning the false limits placed upon women by men。 Despite her strength and conviction Zott faces so many set backs and hurdles， some of which are horrific。 Yet still she tries to keep going。Beyond Zott herself， I particularly loved her daughter Mad， friend Harriet and her amazing dog Six-Thirty。 The relationship between these four was wonderful to read about and I loved how much they helped and supported each other。 Six-Thirty was a brilliant character in his own right and I really enjoyed reading his thoughts and perspectives。 I don’t think I’ve liked （or empathised with） a dog in a novel more than him。 Though many of the men in this book are deplorable （as are some of the women - heres looking at you Mrs Mudford） there are some stand out good men。 There is Calvin of course， but also Walter Pine， Dr Mason and Reverend Waverley。 I really appreciated that Garmus choose to include male characters who， in their own ways， sought to challenge or at-least acknowledge the issues with the societal norms。 This is a book that will make you feel many things。 It will make you smile and laugh， but it will also likely make you cry。 It will probably also make you very angry。 Angry at the injustices Zott， and women more generally， faced， and in some cases still do now。 That Garmus can elicit so many emotions in her reader is certainly very impressive。 I thoroughly recommend Lessons in Chemistry。With thanks to Netgally and Doubleday for the advanced copy in return for my honest review。 。。。more

Larissa ，

This book I thought might be a hit or miss。 I started reading it and quickly found out that it was a total hit。 Elizabeth is a stunning woman who knows who she is and doesn't want the worlds gender standards to hold her back。 Yet it is the mid 1900's so women are expected to be house wives and cook and clean no questions asked。 They really can't be a chemist。 That is what Elizabeth is though a chemist who is so passionate about her research that she will do anything to be considered a scientist This book I thought might be a hit or miss。 I started reading it and quickly found out that it was a total hit。 Elizabeth is a stunning woman who knows who she is and doesn't want the worlds gender standards to hold her back。 Yet it is the mid 1900's so women are expected to be house wives and cook and clean no questions asked。 They really can't be a chemist。 That is what Elizabeth is though a chemist who is so passionate about her research that she will do anything to be considered a scientist even to the point of taking a job she knows is way below her abilities。 The world though is not ready for such a bright and stunning female and the fact that she is pretty and a scientist， well that must mean that she is only out to find a man。 That statement could not be further from the truth， yet she does meet a man， Calvin Evans。 When their two worlds collide it is not love at first sight。 Yet further interactions show that Calvin and Elizabeth are more alike then expected。 When life starts to throw Elizabeth some big curve balls， she has to find a way to survive。 Can she continue to be the proud chemist that she knows she is？ Will she have to end up becoming that dreaded housewife everyone expects of women？ Or can Elizabeth take all her spunk and creativity and create something new from the ashes？This book is just so quirky and funny in all the right places。 Elizabeth is such a strong character。 I love her interaction with others and just how she views the world as a whole。 She is a true driving force that will just speak to women everywhere。 I have already started to recommend this book to my fellow librarians， and can't wait to do the same with our patrons。 Please give this book a chance。 You will not regret it。Thank you so very much to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book。 。。。more

Sara ，

** Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 **Trigger warning: Sexual assaultElizabeth Zott is a scientist。 She is also a mother， the host of a cooking show， and a friend。 But， above all that， she is a scientist。 A chemist to be precise。 And Elizabeth Zott is ALWAYS precise。I don't know what I expected to find when I first started reading "Lessons in Chemistry。" A bit of romance， maybe？ A tale of motherhood， perhaps？ A ** Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 **Trigger warning: Sexual assaultElizabeth Zott is a scientist。 She is also a mother， the host of a cooking show， and a friend。 But， above all that， she is a scientist。 A chemist to be precise。 And Elizabeth Zott is ALWAYS precise。I don't know what I expected to find when I first started reading "Lessons in Chemistry。" A bit of romance， maybe？ A tale of motherhood， perhaps？ After reading the description， I was prepared for a little bit of everything。 But， I was not prepared for the gut punch that Bonnie Garmus delivers in her unabashed look at a female in the patriarchal 1950s and '60s who works to make a place for herself in a male dominated world。 I also was not prepared for how much I would fall in love with the eclectic cast of characters。Garmus writes with a sharp， biting， staccato wit。 She points out the hardships that women had to face and how others would look away from the injustices so as not to bring any backlash on themselves。 She calls out the misogynistic mindset of the times （a mindset that， sadly， has only mildly changed in this day and age） and she doesn't shy away from the dark sides of life as a woman。Do yourself a favor and read this book！ 。。。more

Elaine - Small Farm Big Life ，

I really liked this book！ I have to admit that near the beginning of the book when the dog becomes one of the narraters I wasn't so sure， but I liked this story， the characters and the dog。 This book reminds me a lot of Where'd You Go Bernadette。 Overall， I recommend this book as a quick read and a look at life as a female chemist in the late 50's。 I loved the perseverance of the main character， Elizabeth， and her story。 I would watch her cooking show！ I really liked this book！ I have to admit that near the beginning of the book when the dog becomes one of the narraters I wasn't so sure， but I liked this story， the characters and the dog。 This book reminds me a lot of Where'd You Go Bernadette。 Overall， I recommend this book as a quick read and a look at life as a female chemist in the late 50's。 I loved the perseverance of the main character， Elizabeth， and her story。 I would watch her cooking show！ 。。。more

Mackenzie RM ，

4/5 stars！Lessons in Chemistry is set in the 1960s and is told in the perspective of Elizabeth Zott。 Elizabeth is not your typical woman in the 60s， as she doesn’t truly subscribe to the societal expectations of women in performing the solitary role of housewife。 She is a highly educated chemist and single-mother to Mad Zott。 When the opportunity arises for better pay， she soon slips into the role of a cooking TV show host， Supper at Six。 Chemistry is the basics of life…and cooking， so Elizabeth 4/5 stars！Lessons in Chemistry is set in the 1960s and is told in the perspective of Elizabeth Zott。 Elizabeth is not your typical woman in the 60s， as she doesn’t truly subscribe to the societal expectations of women in performing the solitary role of housewife。 She is a highly educated chemist and single-mother to Mad Zott。 When the opportunity arises for better pay， she soon slips into the role of a cooking TV show host， Supper at Six。 Chemistry is the basics of life…and cooking， so Elizabeth soon is teaching the masses basic chemistry and encourages other women to push for their goals and dreams。I really enjoyed reading about Elizabeth and her steps in following her aspirations， despite societal pressures pushing her in other directions。 She is a smart， brave， and courageous woman pushing the boundaries of society to show that women have a place in the workforce。 Elizabeth is also quirky， unique， and often funny。 She reminded me of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory due to her quirkiness and seeming lack of understanding （or caring may be a more apt descriptor） of certain societal cues。 She really works to the beat of her own drum， regardless of what others think。 Six-Thirty was a hit in my books。 He is Elizabeth’s dog… and is a failed bomb detection dog。 He exhibits a huge amount of intelligence， emotional or otherwise。 I loved reading about him， and found him to be a great addition to the story！My one point of contention with the story was that I found it a bit slow-going in the 30-60% area。 I felt like the story was stagnating and that nothing was really pushing me to keep reading。 I am happy I persevered （as I did consider DNF-ing）， because once the story picks up its easy to get caught up in！I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher， Doubleday Canada， of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review！ All opinions expressed are my own。 Upon publishing of this novel， I will also be posting my review to Amazon Canada。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Lessons in Chemistry

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Lessons in Chemistry&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Lessons in Chemistry&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0