The No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller and BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick
– Lessons in Chemistry
[ About Lessons in Chemistry ]
Your ability to change everything – including yourself – starts here
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.
[ My Review ]
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was published with DoubleDay (Transworld) April 2022. A novel that immediately captured the attention of so many readers across the globe, Lessons in Chemistry is described as ‘laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters…original and vibrant as its protagonist’. Lessons in Chemistry is a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, a BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick and Winner of the Goodreads Choice Best Debut Novel Award (and more)
Lessons in Chemistry takes us into the world of Elizabeth Zott, a woman of extreme fortitude and conviction, who strongly believes in gender equality across all aspects of society. Elizabeth is a chemist, an unusual role for a female in the late 1950s/early1960s, but not an unusual role for the highly unconventional and quirky Elizabeth Zott. Working in a predominantly male environment, Elizabeth’s knowledge and ability receives no respect from her peers. She has to constantly push herself forward, refusing to lean into their beliefs and expectations.
At the Hastings Research Centre, where she works, Elizabeth unexpectedly has a meeting of minds and hearts with the Nobel Prize-nominated loner, and renowned academic, Calvin Evans. A chemical reaction saw their love and passion develop into something quite extraordinary. Colleagues were embarrassed and dismissive of their very public displays of affection but for Elizabeth and Calvin, this was chemistry, something they just could not ignore.
As time passed, circumstances changed for Elizabeth. After becoming a single mother her life altered completely. She managed her days as best she could, even building a chemistry lab in her own kitchen. Her daughter was reared in a very unorthodox manner that in many ways alienated her from her peers but Elizabeth worked with logic and the belief that there was a right way to do everything.
Pedantic and forthright to the last, Elizabeth’s personality is picked up by a studio boss who has an idea for a new afternoon TV show. He sees potential in Elizabeth and persuades her, against all her beliefs, to become the star of a new cookery show, Supper at Six. Elizabeth was expected to succumb to the typical version of the 1960s housewife but she went against the grain bringing her own unique style to the show.
Using chemistry and common sense, Elizabeth’s methods caught the attention of housewives across the States, and a revolution was born. On her daily show she threw out all conventions and encouraged women to educate themselves. She asked them to understand, to learn and to not just accept the status quo, the male-dominated environment that surrounded them.
Final Thoughts:
While Lessons in Chemistry is a fun read, with the wonderful non-conformist Elizabeth Zott at the helm, it is worth noting that there are some very serious themes running through this novel. Some readers may find them disturbing. These themes could have potentially impacted the charm of this tale but Bonnie Garmus delicately handles them without being too dismissive of their gravity.
Lessons in Chemistry is being adapted for streaming with Apple TV, with a 2023 release date, so we can expect to see Elizabeth Zott very soon on our screens. It will be very interesting to see all of the characters brought to life, especially Elizabeth’s dog Six-Thirty, a rather intriguing four-legged friend.
Charming and entertaining Lessons in Chemistry is the story of a strong independent woman who refuses to be invisible. Quirky and smart Lessons in Chemistry is a highly amusing and charismatic tale, one not to be over analysed but just one to quite simply enjoy!
[ Bio ]
Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who has worked widely in the fields of technology, medicine and education. She is an open-water swimmer, a rower, and mother to two wonderful daughters.
Born in California and most recently from Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99.
Her first novel, LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, is a No.1 Sunday Times and No. 1 New York Times bestseller. It was voted Hay Festival Book of the Year by readers, won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Debut Novel and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize.
Translated into more than thirty-five languages, it is being adapted as an Apple TV series starring Brie Larson.
Twitter ~ @BonnieGarmus
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