Hello friend! It is finally time! I read Lessons in Chemistry earlier this year and I am so excited to finally bring you a review of this historical fiction about a chemist who has a cookery show. It is a funny, heartwarming novel about an intelligent woman and the life she creates for herself and her child in a world where men think women’s place is still at home. Take a look at the synopsis and read on for my gushing thoughts.
Lessons in Chemistry
By Bonnie Garmus | Goodreads
Read: April 15 – 18
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.
Content notes include coarse language, rape, single parenthood, sexual assault, sexism, suicide and death.
Revisiting Lessons in Chemistry
When I first read the synopsis, I said out loud, “Oh hell yes! This is going to be fantastic!” I was so happy that I found this book. I read a lot of books and while some of them I like, there are others like Lessons in Chemistry, that are truly hidden gems. They are a whole other level of storytelling that makes them unforgettable. I was sold by the synopsis and my instinct to take a shot at this story was right. This book is brilliant and devastating because it is a true raw human experience.
I learned so much from this book.
Written in two timelines, present day in 1961 and the other 1952, Lessons in Chemistry spans almost a decade of Elizabeth’s life. In the present timeline, Elizabeth is the cook of the show, Supper at Six and the story begins at a point when she is at her worst – one of the lowest moments of her life. And as the reader, all I could think about is what happened? Knowing what her background is from the synopsis, I want to know how a chemist came to this life crisis?
Elizabeth & Calvin
There is a lot that has happened in Elizabeth’s life and as the book unfolds, things become clear. She is an amazing scientist, a wonderful chemist and a unique person. But it’s the 1950s when all-male teams are the norm – a woman may be on the team but it’s her colleagues who get the credit for her hard work. Elizabeth, being Elizabeth, isn’t afraid to fight for the recognition she deserves. She needs something for her experiments and decides to get them from Calvin, meeting him for the first time.
I loved Calvin from the start – he is sweet and awkward and sees her brilliance. The two of them are a wonderful match and it was a pleasure to read about the time they got to spend together, how they supported each other in their careers as well as personal endeavours. Through Calvin, Elizabeth was introduced to rowing, another male-dominated sport and another place she left a mark. He changes her life in every way possible. They even have a dog named Six Thirty. Doesn’t that bring a smile to your face? Calvin is a huge part of the plot even when he isn’t there. I felt that was woven very well into the story. His own backstory and how he came to become the person he did is important in solidifying the chain of events that take place.
Calvin and Elizabeth start to build a life together and their colleagues are blown away by their partnership. But life takes a bad turn and Elizabeth is left by herself. In the matter of days, she loses Calvin and her job and realizes that she is going to be a mom. She knows her mind is her only weapon and though her pregnancy is used as the reason to let her go, she continues to find ways to help other scientists with her brilliance and move their career forward. It was heartbreaking to see all the things that Hastings Research Institute used to shut out Elizabeth – pregnancy and widowhood were not hard enough by themselves and then add in the sexism and heartlessness from people who are supposed to be peers. To not want her to be successful because of her gender – wow, what a world we used to live in! It was infuriating to read. But Elizabeth does not give up and that makes this book so dear to me.
Harriet and the women who watch Supper at Six
This review is incomplete with talking about Eizabeth’s neighbour, Harriet. Harriet lived across from Calvin for many years and though she hadn’t interacted with him much, she had been a keen observer of what was happening across the street. Her personal life sucked so she took an interest in Elizabeth. She wants to get out of her marriage and doesn’t know how. She takes a leap of fate and offers the new mom, Elizabeth, her help. I loved how they met!
Harriet represents the women who are stuck at home and in marriages that do not bring them any happiness. Suddenly, they have a brilliant scientist called Elizabeth who is on TV with a no-nonsense attitude: I am going to teach you how to make dinner and if you follow all my instructions, it’s going to be great. Elizabeth is unapologetic and that’s what made her so loved by her audience. She is a woman standing in front of them all, cooking, talking about chemistry concepts that are supposed to be outside the realm of women. Elizabeth’s closing line at the end of every show, “Children, set the table, your mother needs a moment for herself”, is a gift Harriet gave to her, one she passes on to all the women who watch her show. A moment to themselves in the middle of a demanding life. I will never forget this line.
Madeline
To top it off, Elizabeth’s daughter, Madeline, stole my heart. She is way ahead of her age, thanks to Elizabeth’s upbringing. She is trying to understand her place in the world and school is not kind to people who are different. While Elizabeth has her years of experience of not letting the world shake her, Madeline doesn’t have those skills yet. She wants to know the truth about her parents but she also recognizes that her mom is having a tough time.
Lessons in Chemistry is not just the story of the brilliant chemist, Elizabeth and how she met Calvin, and how they had Madeline and how Elizabeth ended up on a cookery show. It’s also about Madeline and Harriet and the challenges women faced in the 1960s. Elizabeth is a fierce woman who carries a pencil in her hair and will stab you if you deserve stabbing. You’ll love her! Give this book a shot if you are a fan of strong female protagonists and how women have combated outdated societal norms and expectations, making a way for other women to strive.
About the Author
Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who’s worked widely in the fields of technology, medicine, and education. She’s an open-water swimmer, a rower, and mother to two pretty amazing daughters. Born in California and most recently from Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a review copy of this book for an honest review.
Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash
Be First to Comment