Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is a 5 star rated novel! The whit and snappy writing by Garmus is whole-heartly enjoyable and makes the reader crave "just one more chapter" .

Elizabeth Zott, a chemist turned television star is the protagonist of the story and very quickly the audience can see, though she is a male dominated 1960's world, she can hold her own. Her laugh out loud observations on her surroundings make it abundantly clear, Elizabeth is where she belongs and can teach the men in her life a thing or two.

Lessons in Chemistry is such a fun read, and certain to become a best seller in 2022! Thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy. Lessons in Chemistry will be published on April 5, 2022.

✨ Review ✨ Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
"Take a moment now to admire your experiment. You've used the elegance of chemical bonding to construct a crust that will both house and enhance the flavor of your constituents."

Elizabeth Zott dared to be a chemist in the late-1950s and early-1960s, and a series of sad and discriminatory actions left her trod open and disrespected. Zott's actions again and again subverted cultural and gender standards of this era, and yet, she continued to stand up for her convictions. She ultimately ended up as the host of a cooking show "Supper at Six," where she taught women cooking skills alongside lessons in chemistry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: historical fiction / women's fiction
Location: California
Reminds me of: Frederick Backman meets The Maid
Pub Date: April 5, 2022

I LOVED this book - the writing style was so quirky and distinct that it reminded me of Frederick Backman, as well as sometimes The Maid in the ways that Elizabeth Zott could be a bit obtuse (intentionally obtuse I thought). The writing was beautiful and had me hooked in! The stories of Elizabeth's daughter Mad and dog Six-Thirty were so delightful!

I also found this really resonant as a woman in academia - it spoke to the historical context of the 1950s and 1960s and the bravery of women in charting a path forward for female scientists, academics, and more. But it also spoke to women in science and academia today - battling discrimination, lower pay, sexual harassment and assault, belittling behavior, struggles juggling home and family life, and more. This book made me fume in places and laugh in others as I pondered both the progress and lack of change in these fields.

My only two critiques are that 1) the jumps in time or between characters sometimes confused me as I tried to figure out what happened; 2) this is a story that's grounded in white feminism with little intersectional focus...while this reflects the historical moment, it feels like something worth noting.

Read this if you like:
⭕️ The writing of Frederick Backman and The Maid
⭕️ Learning more about women in science
⭕️ Quirky characters and brilliant dogs
⭕️ Stories about found family

Thanks to Doubleday and #netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this book!

This book so far is my favorite read for 2022. I laughed, I cried and cheered for Elizabeth Zott, who unfortunately was born ahead of her time. It's the 1950's and early 60's and she is a brilliant and beautiful research scientist but as a woman she is belittled by her peers for her intellect. She finds love with another lonely brilliant scientist and their love affair is wonderful until something tragic happens. Her life changes dramatically after that and to make ends meet she ends up hosting a cooking show because she is also a good cook yet her unorthodox ways of explaining how to make a meal (by using scientific terminology) and telling her mostly female audience that they are more than just housewives and can do more with themselves outside the confines of their roles as homemakers and mothers sends shockwaves through the men who are in charge of TV programming. They try to stifle her but her cooking program becomes extremely popular. It's a laugh out loud story while offers a sobering view at how intelligent and daring women were treated in those days. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A must read! Elizabeth Zott, gotta say, is a new hero. A chemist, she fought her way to the Hastings Institute after a troubled childhood and a horrible incident that left her removed from her Phd program. She's clearly brilliant but she's a woman and therefore marginalized, except when her Maile colleagues need help. Calvin Evans is the star of the Institute. Also from a troubled childhood, he's made his way to the top of his field. They meet, they fall in love, they move in together and adopt Six Thirty- a terrific dog. And then there's a tragedy. The unexpected birth of their daughter Mad leads to the first female friendships of her life and ultimately to her new career. How groundsbreaking was it for her to teach chemistry through cooking ? Immensely so and the show engenders both huge fans and a certain amount of animosity until a Life Magazine Profile changes it all. There are so many twists in this absolutely wonderful book-no spoilers! These characters leap off the page. I know some might quibble about a sentient dog and the tone of Elizabeth's voice but it fits, it all fits and it's perfect. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Can't recommend this more highly.

This book was... tricky for me. It's so well rated, but I have to say it just wasn't my type of novel. The way it was broken up was very jarring and just made me feel like I could never get into a good rhythm. The story itself was very unique and honestly interesting, but I just never felt that crazy about the characters. It is in small part a romance, but mostly it's a story about feminism in many forms.

5 Stars
This is an extremely strong and relevant first book by Bonnie Gamus. It takes a look at how things were in the early 60s for women and specifically, women in science. We all know the mansplaining that still happens, well, magnify those moments to all the moments in your workday.

This is what our main character, Elizabeth Zot has to deal with. As a chemist, she understands how things work, so when a situation presents the answer to her needs, she takes this knowledge and uses it in cooking. She creates a TV cooking show and shows how mixing some compounds and how they help the recipes.

She becomes a huge TV star who also is teaching more than cooking to women...she is opening their minds to see things from a different perspective.

Wonderful.

This is such a unique book with wacky characters, an adorable dog (and you all know I’m not a dog person!), a precocious kid and a sweet love story. Elizabeth is so smart and just wants to do her job but sexism is real in her field. A bit of creativity and desperation lead her to her own television cooking show - because cooking is science! I loved the bits of faith and it’s challenges sprinkled throughout the story. Ideas of family and community are strong, perseverance and commitment to being true to yourself, a bit of sadness and a lot of humor, this book is exceptional! And a debut! Can’t wait to see what Bonnie Garmus does next!

I adored this witty, brilliant, sharply-written book! It was unique yet relatable and absolutely perfectly executed. Such a treat!

Elizabeth Zott tries to just be a chemist in the world of 1960's CA but she is hampered at every turn by the fact of her gender. Elizabeth eats, sleeps and breathes chemistry. She meets Calvin-another chemistry genius and the 'chemistry' between the two of them is amazing. Both have troubled pasts and in turn try to support each other's futures. Through a series of events, Elizabeth ends up having to make a name for herself as an on air cooking personality instead of doing chemistry research. It sounds zany and trust me, both the story and the secondary characters are all different levels of zany. I loved this story, I loved the characters, I loved all the metaphors about chemistry, I loved Elizabeth Zott. If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. Even the dog "Siz Thirty" is amazing-he does chemical experiments with Elizabeth with his own set of goggles.
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review. I'm going to be in a little bit of a book hangover after this one I think.

I’d actually give this book 10 stars!! A beautifully and heartwarming book written about a woman in the 1950s and 1960s trying to make it as a chemist in a male dominated field. She’s a warrior and overcomes all obstacles in her way. This book is fantastic. Thanks for the advanced copy!

Elizabeth Lott is a woman you won’t be able to forget. You won’t want to. She’s a scientist brimming with intelligence. She’s fiercely independent, brutally honest and totally lacking in social graces. And because it’s the 1950s, she’s a woman in a world dominated by men and must deal with insults, prejudice, harassment and more on an almost daily basis. How she navigates this world, her successes and failures, and the friends (including the impressive dog Six Thirty) who are part of her life make Lessons in Chemistry a unique and memorable novel. If you are going to read only one book this year, this is it. 5 stars. I wish I could give it more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday Books and Bonnie Garmus for this ARC.

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmos is shimmering reader delight. From the first sentence until the immensely satisfying last one, her story transported me with the story of brilliant scientists who forge a love story that endures, inspires, and enriches the world. I don't have words powerful enough to convey what a thrill it was to enter and live in the world that Garmos created with the remarkable Elizabeth Zott and the equally fascinating others in her life. Think of a book that was so different, the voice so captivating that you could not bear the story to be over. While I never knew where she was going to take us next, I knew to trust the story and enjoy every twist and turn, laugh out loud moment, and gasp worthy realization. A genuinely unique, creative, and joyous work. that reminded me of John Irving, Matt Haig, and Toni Morrison in evoking people and place with memorable, strong prose. I received an early reader copy and these are my unbiased opinions and thoughts.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We are all sun-grins about this female-empowerment, dog-loving, chemistry-filled read. A big thanks to @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for the ARC! This one comes out April 5, and you don’t want to miss it.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a light, funny read, but there was SO MUCH MORE to it. I laughed out loud, I cringed, I got mad, and I ended it with tears in my eyes. I loved it!

The characters were excellent. Elizabeth Zott was a character that will stay with a reader for a very very long time. The supporting characters were just as great. A neighbor-turned-friend who hates her husband. An extremely intelligent dog who flunked out of bomb-sniffing school. A young girl who was way more intelligent than she should be. There was so much development that I felt like I knew them all at the end.

This book, while humorous at times, tackled hard subjects. It’s whole focus is on Zott, a highly capable scientist (notice I didn’t say female scientist, because just scientist) who didn’t get the respect she deserved simply because she was female. This book explored what females went through in the work place, and some things got pretty dark (so research the trigger warnings). It tackled workplaces, motherhood, friendship, and grief.

This book embodied one of my favorite RBG quotes: Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. Truly one of my favorites of the year so far.

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is used to fighting battles to gain respect as a woman in her field in the early 1960s. However, one fellow scientist sees her as a peer, and sparks fly. Fast forward a few years and Elizabeth finds herself a single mother of a precocious little girl. Making ends meet proves difficult until an opportunity falls into her lap—as the host of a cooking show, of all things.

Elizabeth is all things strong and independent—a main character I’m happy to get behind. With great character development, Lessons in Chemistry introduces us to a solid cast of characters (including a dog!). This story wasn’t quite what I expected, but in all the best ways. There’s so much depth, so much real life that’s in this book. It tackles very real problems, especially those facing women in the workforce, in the 1960s.

Lessons in Chemistry is a blend of historical fiction, comedy, sprinkled with some feels. A delight to read, I highly recommend it!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley & Doubleday Books and am leaving an honest review.

What was life in the 1960s like for an intelligent female scientist? For Elizabeth Zott it is more than just a bit difficult. In the 1960s most women didn’t pursue a career in the science field and, certainly, those few who did, didn’t approach it with the zeal and single-mindedness that Elizabeth does. She even falls in love with a fellow scientist and their future appears to be heading in the right direction.

But, as we all know, life has a way of tossing curve balls and Elizabeth’s life is no exception. Within a few years she finds herself raising her daughter and hosting a TV cooking show. But, still a scientist at heart, she uses chemistry as the basis for teaching women not only how to cook nutritious meals for their families, but also how to follow their dreams and ambitions.

Lessons in Chemistry is charming, thoughtful, humorous, and very enjoyable. The cast of characters (including the dog) is extraordinary and the story is clever and unique. There were moments that made me laugh out-loud and others that made me nearly cringe. This is a book that gives the reader a lot to think about and a lot to be thankful for.

As one of her new fans, I raise a beaker to author Bonnie Garmus. I hope she has many years of writing ahead of her! Her debut novel is certainly 4.5 *s and I will gladly bump it to 5.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

From page one you will root for Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant scientist who has to wade through despicable sexism, misogamy, assault, and more to pursue her research goals. Facing unspeakable abuse early in the book, readers journey with Zott as she falls in love, experiences heartbreak, becomes a single mother, and slowly climbs her way to success. The allies and friends she collides with along the way shine in their complex humanity. You will not want this book to end.

I think I got bogged down in the chemistry story line! Sad. The book started off good and the very quickly, I was thrown off. This is a book that contains a great intelligent female character, Elizabeth Zott. She finds herself in a life that she didn't plan. I just didn't connect with the main character. There are very funny parts but I got thrown off early and didn't love it. Thanks to netgalley for the advance copy

Such a cute promise in this book that just didn't deliver. Everyone was saying how this book was entertaining so I really wanted to like it but I just couldn't hold my attention long enough unfortunately.

5 stars! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I loved this book! Written in a slightly quirky style, the love story between Calvin and Elizabeth is wonderful and heartbreaking. Two people who are alone and lost in the world, coming together as a force - this novel and the characters spoke to me, along with the remembrances of life for women in the US 60 years ago - not that long ago, and yet people have forgotten just how difficult it was as a single woman in the 50's, especially those who chose to think and live outside the box. The insights of Six Thirty, the dog, were spot on. I thought the ending was a bit of a surprise, and left me closing the book with a big smile, yet wanting to follow these characters a bit longer. Highly recommended.

Although I loved Lessons In Chemistry, by Bonnie Gamus, don't expect it to be a light-hearted romp, like the novel, Where'd You Go Bernadette, that is referenced in the description on Goodreads. This is a novel about a stubborn, woman who persists in her passion for science, in spite of the crushing misogyny of the 1950's & 60's. There are very funny moments in the book, especially when she takes command of a silly cooking show meant for housewives. She actually turns it into a show about empowerment and self-worth for women doing the thankless job of taking care of children and home. But there are also moments of sexual violence, and degradation that are difficult to read. This is especially true because I just love the character of Elizabeth. Overall, this was a very worthwhile read, and I highly recommend it.

What I Liked:

Characters:

This is a highly character driven book. What I mean by that is that the author created these wonderful (and sometimes infuriating) characters and then put them in situations to see what would happen.

Elizabeth, having no family to speak of, makes her way in the world without the judgement, or guidance, of anyone. So she sees no reason why she shouldn't be able to do things like be a chemistry major in college, or become a scientist. She doesn't have the awareness to understand that what she wants is going to be nearly impossible during the 1950's, when the book begins. Calvin, is similarly clueless. He has grown up in a boys home for orphans, and also doesn't have a family. Both Elizabeth and Calvin are genius-level smart, and look at problems without any social context. But, because Calvin is a man, he is praised for his quirkiness and allowed to do whatever he wants. But when Elizabeth acts the same way, she is told she's a troublemaker, and immediately shut down. I was glad they found each other and had a chance at happiness.

The supporting characters fall into one of two groups: those who perpetuate the status quo, and those who's views are changing. Every boss in this book definitely is a chauvinist, and sees Elizabeth only in terms of her beauty and what she can do for them. But, there are also characters who are showing the beginnings of awareness that what is happening to Elizabeth is wrong. As they get to know her, they rally to support her, creating a kind of alternate family. I loved this.

Themes:

The book is all about facing injustice head on, even when there is a price to pay. Elizabeth doesn't seem aware, at first, that there are virtually no opportunities for intelligent women in the workforce, in 1952. She has a very modern outlook on how things should be. If she is smart enough to do the work, she should be given the opportunity to do so. But society has put women firmly in the role of wife and/or mother. People look at her as unnatural (or even immoral) for not wanting marriage and children. Some of the people who give her the most trouble, are actually women. I think these women feel like, if they had to give up on their dreams, all other women should have to as well. As my mother was in this generation (and also majored in chemistry in college), it gave me a great appreciation for what women faced in this period.

Story:

I can't go into the story much without giving too much away. I will say that I loved that there were several little mysteries that we hear about that are resolved by the end of the book. The story also shows how unpredictable life can be. Even when we find a safe harbor, it may not last. Sometimes life changes on a dime, and then we have to pick up the pieces.

The Dog:

I loved, loved, loved the character of Elizabeth's dog, Six-Thirty. He has thoughts, dreams, and an immense love of Elizabeth and those around her. Whenever Six-Thirty was in a scene, I immediately wanted to know what he was thinking. This is just a wonderful aspect of this book.

Trigger Warning:

This book does include scenes of sexual violence that may be triggering to some readers.