Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is such an alluring story with a refreshing take on women’s empowerment, embracing women’s education and is a great illustration of dispelling stereotypical gender roles that were heavily abided by in the 1960s. This novel introduces you to a unique family dynamic with creative, ingenious characters that fit well together in their odd family tree. As you get to know each of them, their connections to the family, and their dog named Six-Thirty, the story comes full circle. One of the chapters is even told through Six-Thirty’s eyes which helps give a greater scope of the characters.
With a compelling tone of familial love beyond biological relation, a theme of faith versus science, and a hidden twist at the end, this book is a captivating, thought-provoking read. It presents a tasteful tale of love and loss and keeps the reader intrigued as to how the main character- a chemist, will survive in the world of daytime television after leaving the chemistry lab behind; discouraged, and feeling financially restricted to this new career option.
While there is a trigger warning (SA) to note in (chapter 3, pg. 18) it does not take away from the story, just as it does not define the main character but is pertinent to the challenges she faced early on in her chemistry career as a part of her backstory. This occurrence, which unfortunately many women can relate to, is an incident that later resurfaces to show how strong women’s voices are when they unite and come together and the importance of this in a man’s world. It also celebrates female friendships through the friendship that Elizabeth Zott, the main character, shares with her neighbor, Harriet Sloane. It is a friendship that begins in Elizabeth’s homemade chemistry lab in her kitchen and develops from the love and care they have for Elizabeth’s daughter, Madeleine “Mad” Zott, and it is a friendship that breaks chains.
With the trail-blazing character, Elizabeth Zott, hosting the afternoon show “Supper at Six,” readers can witness the show’s audience shift as Elizabeth’s radiant character not only details the chemical breakdown of everyday dinner recipes but also empowers them, granting them the mentality that they can do anything they put their mind to. While the show runs throughout the present-day time setting, Elizabeth’s audience evolves from one of stay-at-home mothers (as was the norm for women at the time) into mothers who are entrepreneurs and getting a higher education.
Receiving a 4.29 on Goodreads, this book has a little bit of everything – love, action, friendship, comedy, science, and mystery. There is now a screen adaptation of the novel that debuted on Apple TV in October 2023, as a mini-series: Lessons in Chemistry. Although the author gave little input into the show’s writing, Brie Larson, who plays Elizabeth Zott, does an excellent job of conveying the same message and themes from the original story and the series has won a primetime Emmy.
Lessons in Chemistry is a gripping novel and encouraging story for young women to read. It grants a great perspective as to what the times were like for women in the 50s and 60s and the obstacles that gender roles presented, especially for women in STEM. The book possesses romantic chemistry, and real-life application of chemistry lessons in the kitchen and highlights the strength and stamina required of working women then and now. Elizabeth’s riveting story and her inner battle of abandonment, facing prejudice, and what it takes to build a home (and a career) while healing, is truly touching and relatable to all women in some form or fashion.
It is a spectacular ‘palette cleanser’ book as it is a simple read and though the timeline is complex, the chapters are divided up into a timeframe that’s easy to follow. It knocks down the fourth wall with the audience of Elizabeth’s Supper at Six show, but also knocks down the fourth wall into her kitchen (and homemade lab), her training as a rower, and in her great love story with another chemist; her colleague, Calvin Evans. The book also follows the friendships that Elizabeth develops with Calvin’s colleagues, and eventually, Calvin’s pen pal Reverend Wakely, as well as her daughter’s friendship with Reverend Wakely who helps Mad on her school project of creating a family tree with what little she knows of her family. What they discover together helps reinforce the undertone of the story that family does not have to consist of blood relatives. It is Harriet Sloane, Mad’s caretaker and friend, and a mystery sponsor who finds her way into her family tree alongside her and her mother, rather than blood relatives and unknown extended family.
Lessons in Chemistry is a testament to great friendship and resilience – and to never give up. It’s a great read for women of all ages and is trending as a historical fiction book. Full of wit and spectacle, it’s a great book to start the year off with.
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