Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel

I join a long list of reviewers who give this book 5 enthusiastic stars. Like these reviewers, I, too, was drawn deeply into this quirky and charming book. I also immediately contacted one of my reader friends to exhort them- “you gotta read this book!” This is truly a special story. I will say though, that the cover mislead me and I can’t imagine that the main character, Elizabeth Zott, would have approved of it. Yes, it’s attractive, but the cover made me think this was a rom-com. Elizabeth would never read, yet alone appear, in a romantic comedy. Character driven, with a bit of magical realism, this book is about Elizabeth, chemist, mother, tv star. As fascinating as Elizabeth is, it’s the dog in the story who steals the show and who truly keeps his human family going. Another unforgettable character is Elizabeth’s young daughter, “Mad”. She seems like a genius, but according to Elizabeth, she is not- she’s just well-taught (by Elizabeth). Most reviewers mention these three characters only, but let’s not forget several other endearing characters: Elizabeth’s interfering but stalwart neighbor, Elizabeth’s TV boss, and Wakely the minister. OK, I’ll also give a shout-out to Elizabeth’s obstetrician and all the rowers. And then there’s Evan. With humor, wit, heart, and earnest naivety, Elizabeth takes on the world of the 1950’s-60 in California. She is a chemist, who knocks out her kitchen to make a lab, and who brews coffee in a twenty-step process using a Bunsen burner. Not surprisingly, her world is not ready for an independent, scientific, slightly off-kilter woman. As you read, you may get caught up in the wit and humor, and Elizabeth’s whirl as a TV cooking show host is fabulous. But there are serious themes in this book. Many reviewers mention the discrimination of women, but hardly any mention the criticism of God and religion. I also agree that this book deserves to be a top book of 2022. Highly recommended! Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

Good book!

What do you do when you’re a female scientist in the 1960s, and every deck is stacked against you? You row. You cook. You fight. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, a TV show personality, and a single mom. The social norms of the day mean that so many people - especially men - look at her a certain way. The only thing for Elizabeth to do is use her chemist’s brain to claim her life for herself. This book is a complete delight. It reads like a Wes Anderson movie - smart, funny, charming, and quirky. Elizabeth Zott is my new hero! I love that she is nothing if not true to herself and her beliefs and never kowtows to a man for anything. The supporting characters in this book - even the nasty ones - are entertaining and well-written. My favorite character besides Elizabeth is her dog Six-Thirty who must know well over 1,000 words by now. Elizabeth takes all her strengths and uses them to survive - to soar - in a man’s world. Her story is sometimes brutal, sometimes poignant, and sometimes bold. She’s a role model for the ages, and I applaud her. Bonnie Garmus has written a masterpiece. Her writing is powerful, witty, and emotional in the right places. I highly recommend Lessons in Chemistry. Let me know when you’ve read it - I’d love to discuss!

It has been a long time since a book kept me reading into the early hours of the morning without my realizing it, but this was a tough book to put down! I have to commend the author- she managed to write Elizabeth (and Calvin) in a way that we could see how their characters are difficult to connect with while thoroughly making us feel connected to them. She also took us through some really awful situations of (trigger warnings) discrimination, abuse, neglect, suicide, sexual harassment and assaults, death, and just really terrible people, yet somehow made this an overall empowering and uplifting story, balanced with love and humor. The full range of emotions came in through this book. The time period of the story was the 1950’s and 1960’s, when discrimination against women (and a general belief that women were not as capable or deserving as men) was rampant, especially in Science. That alone was frustrating throughout the story. Yet somehow Elizabeth stayed true to herself and her beliefs, inspiring others and changing minds along the way. Family and what truly makes a family is another theme throughout. People came into the story in some unexpected ways, and you can really see the positive effects of simply treating others with respect, kindness, and an open mind can benefit everyone. And the dog… brilliant. I found myself reading aloud to others some of the parts told through the dog’s perspective because they were so astute and entertaining. I love that this book shows the power of women who set their minds to something and believe in their potential… While we thankfully aren’t in 1950s and 1960s anymore and have come a long way, this book is a great reminder to challenge stereotypes, be who you are, and support each other. There is still a long way to go. One word of caution to the highly religious- Some of the themes are not Catholic-friendly… Some of the “villains” in this book were church representatives. But, it is meant to represent practices that were, sadly, known or likely to have happened, especially at that time. The reason I only gave four stars was because the way it was presented seemed to make the case that not only is it impossible to believe in both Science and God, which is kind of narrow-minded, IMHO, but that religion, in general, is detrimental. I get that the main character was an atheist and that is a part of the central story, but the theme popped up in other parts almost as a tangent. It felt almost like an unnecessary agenda that didn’t really add to the story in places. Just my thoughts, and others may feel differently.

I was very late to the party on picking up this book. It wasn't until I saw a couple of snippets of the miniseries that I decided I should pick up the book and read it. I tore through this book in less than a day because I was captivated by the well-rounded characters and the situations in which their author put them. I was moved By Elizabeth's story and fully invested in the future of every character in this book. It had it surprises, it's moments where it made you angry, but it also was incredibly inspiring and uplifting. I highly recommend this book if you are into period pieces, love mid-century mod, perhaps you are a huge fan of The marvelous Mrs maisel or maybe you are a big fan of one Mrs Julia child. Absolutely adored this book and immediately went to see what other people recommended I read once I finished the last page. On a side note, I thought the book was so wonderfully done that I had a very hard time watching the miniseries because I did not like the choices made in the television version versus what was written in the book. I felt so loyal to the choices the author made in this book that it was hard to watch something diverge from that.

Lessons in Chemistry is a brilliant blend of wit, heart, and thought-provoking commentary on gender roles in the workplace during the 1960s. I loved the overall story—especially how it highlighted the challenges women faced in science during that era, while showing how their perseverance helped pave the way for future generations. The humor throughout the book was sharp and clever, balancing perfectly with the serious themes. The scientific elements were seamlessly woven in, making the story both educational and engaging. And the love story? It added warmth and depth without overshadowing the central narrative of resilience, self-discovery, and progress. A smart, funny, and inspiring read that lingers long after the last page. Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) – Empowering, witty, and wonderfully original.

Last night, in the wee hours of the morning, I finished this amazing book. And my first thought was "WOW!" This so speaks to women. It's a novel that is packed with not only all the emotions we women feel but solutions to our perception of being powerless. It begins in the 50s and continues into the 60s but is so relevant to today because we are still groveling at inequality and abuses. Whatever strides we've made in being taken seriously in sexual assaults, employment and educational disparities, and being judged by our looks, our associations, our activities, etc., this book not only highlights what it was like, but sadly, as a reader in the 21st century, how it continues and how it seems to be returning. Even though I saw this book as number one on a bestseller list. I wasn't interested because the synopsis was about cooking. I don't cook, I don't like to cook, and I don't want to cook. But, after seeing it on the list for many weeks, I went to my library's website to order it. Available in our southern Wisconsin library system for the regular-print novel there are 137 books available but 948 requests on hold. For the large print, there are 45 books with 425 requests on hold. So, this gave me enough curiosity to order it from Amazon. Again, WOW! The protagonist, Elizabeth Zott -- to her coworkers, bosses, audience, etc -- implores them not only to not grovel (my word, not hers) but gives . . . here it comes . . . evidence as to it all in the form of science and chemistry. I know, it comes across as boring and uninteresting. Believe me, it is not! And I do not review lightly any book. She takes her grudges, her faltering self-esteem, her gender to such levels as to stand up for herself and challenge herself and others to not accept or tolerate the abuses. Read the book. Wear a sharpened #2 pencil in your hair (it's in the book). This book is worth your money, your time, your sanity, your present, your future . . . YOU.

Nice story. Easy read that kept my interest.

Es una maravilla. Simplemente maravilloso. La protagonista te cautivará de principio a fin y el humor y los detalles de cada personaje te atraparán. Una lectura deliciosa. Nada forzada ni “elegante”. Fluida y sumamente entretenida. Me encantó!!!!

Es un libro que te atrapa desde el primer capítulo! Me encantó ! Vale la pena leerlo antes de ver la serie en AppleTv

El libro tiene una buena Pasta dura, sus hojas vienen muy bien. Bien empaquetado, muy buen precio (lo agarré en descuento) me encantó

Lo ame mucho!!! Facil de leer, senti cerca a las personajes; me hizo reír y llorar 🥲

Este libro lo pedí para una amiga y me comenta que está increíble, es de una Química que es madre soltera y presenta algunos desafíos en su revolucionaria forma de (cocinar) obviamente tiene la cuestión de: La perspectiva de género"