Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel

by Bonnie Garmus

#1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD • Meet Elizabeth Zott: “a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention” (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show. • STREAM ON APPLE TV+

This novel is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel” (The New York Times Book Review) and “witty, sometimes hilarious...the Catch-22 of early feminism” (Stephen King, via Twitter).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. 

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.  

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

• ISBN10: 038554734X
• ISBN13: 9780385547345
• Publish Date: 5 April 2022 (first published 29 March 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Doubleday & Co Inc.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780385547345

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

This book took me completely by surprise. I was reluctant to read it because everyone I encountered raved about it and I've been burned in the past by bestselling books that everyone loves. Well, long story short, I loved Lessons in Chemistry.

As someone with a non-traditional life, I immediately identified with Elizabeth and her struggles just to do her job. I loved how she had a no-nonsense approach to life and the people that gravitated toward her and befriended her. I'll admit the POV of the dog was a little strange, but overall I loved this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Quirky Cat]

I wish I was in charge of handing out book awards because I would certainly give one to Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This novel is delightful and hits so close to home, showcasing a world not that far from our past.

Elizabeth Zott is not ordinary. She's not even average. All her life, she's had a dream – to become a chemist. Yet, in the 1960s, there was little to no upward movement for women in chemistry or any of the sciences.

Zott intended she could change that. She hoped her cooking show, Supper at Six, would make science more approachable to young women and young girls. After all, what is cooking but another type of science?

“Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.”

Lessons in Chemistry is undoubtedly one of the wittiest books I've read all year. It is full to the brim of charm, characters, and poignant observations. I think that's at least part of why this book hits so hard – it knows how to burrow right into the reader's heart (it turns out you just had to go through the funny bone, who'd have thought?).

But seriously, Lessons in Chemistry was an absolute delight to read. Word cannot express how much I enjoyed this read. It successfully elicited a plethora of emotions from me. One moment I was fuming in rage at the treatment of women in science. The next moment Elizabeth had me cracking up. This sort of balance made the whole story more...dare I say palatable.

Lessons in Chemistry tackled some very serious subjects, especially for the time. In truth, I feel many of these points are still relevant now, in different ways. If you're looking for a book that'll start a conversation, I can guarantee that Lessons in Chemistry will do just that.

I say this a lot, but I do hope that we'll see an adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry. I'd love to see more people enjoying this story in whatever format they felt most comfortable with. Plus, I'd love to see who they'd cast for Elizabeth Zott.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks