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| Categories | Genre Fiction |
| Author | Bonnie Garmus |
| Publisher | Random House Large Print; Large type / Large print edition (February 1, 2022) |
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 416 pages |
| Item Weight | 13.6 ounces |
| Dimensions |
6.06 x 0.93 x 9.19 inches |
I. Book introduction
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • A must-read debut! Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).
“A unique heroine … you’ll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional.” —Seattle Times
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.
Editorial Reviews
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • ONE OF NPR’s BEST BOOKS OF 2022 • ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR—New York Times, Bustle, Real Simple, Parade, CNN, Today, E! News, Library Journal
“In Garmus’s debut novel, a frustrated chemist finds herself at the helm of a cooking show that sparks a revolution. Welcome to the 1960s, where a woman’s arsenal of tools was often limited to the kitchen—and where Elizabeth Zott is hellbent on overturning the status quo one meal at a time.”
—New York Times“Strikingly relevant…Darkly funny and poignant…Lessons in Chemistry’s excellent experiment [is] quirky and heartwarming.”
—The Atlantic“[Garmus] delivers an assured voice, an indelible heroine and relatable love stories…At the center of the novel is Elizabeth Zott, a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention…Elizabeth is a feminist and modern thinker […] in a world nowhere ready for her mind, character or ambition…[Garmus] charm[s]. She’s created an indelible assemblage of stubborn, idiosyncratic characters. She’s given us a comic novel at precisely the moment we crave one.”
—Washington Post“Feminism is the catalyst that makes [Lessons in Chemistry] fizz like hydrochloric acid on limestone. Elizabeth Zott does not have ‘moxie’; she has courage. She is not a ‘girl boss’ or a ‘lady chemist’; she’s a groundbreaker and an expert in abiogenesis…To file Elizabeth Zott among the pink razors of the book world is to miss the sharpness of Garmus’s message. Lessons in Chemistry will make you wonder about all the real-life women born ahead of their time—women who were sidelined, ignored and worse because they weren’t as resourceful, determined and lucky as Elizabeth Zott. She’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, but also how far we still have to go.”
—New York Times Book Review“Between the outrageous sexism and the bitter misfortune that thwart our heroine at every turn, this may not sound like a comic novel, but it is. Full of charm, energy and hope—and featuring a really great dog—it’s one to savor.”
—People Magazine“A kicky debut, this book tackles feminism, resilience, and rationalism in a fun and refreshing way.”
—BuzzFeed“It’s the world versus Elizabeth Zott, an extraordinary woman determined to live on her own terms, and I had no trouble choosing a side. Lessons in Chemistry is a page-turning and highly satisfying tale: zippy, zesty, and Zotty.”
—Maggie Shipstead, author of Great Circle“Lessons in Chemistry is a breath of fresh air—a witty, propulsive, and refreshingly hopeful novel populated with singular characters. This book is an utter delight—wry, warm, and compulsively readable.”
—Claire Lombardo, author of The Most Fun We Ever Had“On par with Beth Harmon of The Queen’s Gambit, Elizabeth Zott swept me away with her intellect, honesty, and unapologetic selfhood. Lessons in Chemistry is a story for all the smart girls who refuse to dumb themselves down despite a culture that demands otherwise. Though a creation of the 50s & 60s, Zott is a feminist icon for our time.”
—Rachel Yoder, author of Nightbitch“A fun, feminist charmer, Bonnie Garmus’s novel Lessons in Chemistry follows singular single mother Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist in a man’s world—1960s America—as she becomes an unlikely cooking-show host and the role model her daughter deserves.”
—Martha Stewart Living“[A] delightful debut…Elizabeth Zott, Garmus’ unflappable heroine, is no cheerily lilting [Julia] Child…[Garmus] skillfully moves her narrative forward and backward, filling in the empty spaces in Elizabeth’s story. It’s a novel full of dark moments…and yet Lessons in Chemistry feels richly funny…Elizabeth Zott is a unique heroine, and you find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional: A lot of us—perhaps even Julia Child—might have enjoyed watching ‘Supper at Six.’”
—The Seattle Times“Lessons in Chemistry catalyzes science, cooking, and humor…Elizabeth [Zott]—determined, practical, uncompromising—shines brightest.”
—Christian Science Monitor“[Garmus] presents a rollicking feminist tale full of humor and hope even as she doesn’t shy away from life’s ugliness. Clever and sharp, Lessons in Chemistry has a winning formula.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune“Find this runaway hit where history meets humor. The book follows a chemist in the 1960s who doesn’t get the respect she deserves. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes the host of a famous cooking show. With her platform, she encourages viewers to push the boundaries the same way she did at work.”
—Today.com“A bold, smart, and often hilarious look at the value of so-called women’s work.”
—Real Simple“Garmus tells a familiar story in a completely original voice in her delightful debut novel…Zott is an unforgettable protagonist, logical and literal and utterly herself…The novel deftly mixes comedy and tragedy, with only one very clear villain: the patriarchal culture of mid-20th century America, the days of which are numbered because of women like Zott…For those who admire a confident, bone-dry, and hilarious authorial voice, this novel achieves the difficult task of being both sharply satirical and heartwarming at the same time.”
—Historical Novels Review“If you can imagine Julia Child channeling a little bit of Lucille Ball, and all of the science edginess of Madame Curie, then you’ll have a really good idea of the humor and the wit and the warmth that just shine through this entire novel.”
—Minnesota Public Radio News“I loved it and am devastated to have finished it.”
—Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat“Garmus’ writing is extraordinary, and her insightful commentaries on life, religion, bigotry, misogyny and stupidity result in passages that are absolutely worth sharing…Be prepared to laugh, grieve, and root for Elizabeth.”
—BookReporter“[An] energetic debut…A more adorable plea for rationalism and gender equality would be hard to find.”
—Kirkus (starred review)“Indefatigable and formidable, Elizabeth pushes the bounds of how women and their work are perceived in this thoroughly engaging debut novel.”
—Booklist“Like a woman-centric “Mad Men”…A witty and sharp dramedy about resilience and found families…Readers won’t be able to get enough of Elizabeth and her makeshift family. Lessons in Chemistry is a story to return to again and again.”
—BookPage“While the novel focuses on serious themes of misogyny, feminism, family, and self-worth, it never gets didactic. The characters are rich and original, the story sarcastic and humorous, and the novel with all its twists and turns, difficult to put down. Zott is aloof and amazing, rational and revolutionary. Like Garmus, you may even find yourself channeling Elizabeth, asking ‘Now what would Elizabeth Zott do?’”
—LA Daily News“A smart, funny, big-hearted debut combining chemical elements into what seems a winning formula—one whose breakneck pace and gently ironic tone should appeal to readers of literary-commercial hits by American authors such as Katherine Heiny, Emma Straub and Curtis Sittenfeld.”
—Sunday Times (UK)“Elizabeth Zott is the smart, fierce star of Garmus’s witty debut…Brilliant.”
—Mail on Sunday(UK)“The enchanting story of Elizabeth Zott never belittles the offence of sexism, but neither – miraculously – does it ever take you more than a few sentences away from a smile, a chuckle, or a laugh out loud. Bonnie Garmus’ gift is to expose the sting and injustice of being a woman in a man’s world with a feather light touch that keeps our spirits buoyant and our hearts strong. I honestly don’t know how she does it. This is a remarkable book by a remarkable writer.”
—Jo Browning Roe, author of A Terrible Kindness“A fabulous novel. Compelling, satisfying, a real page-turner.”
—Nina Stibbe, author of Reasons to Be Cheerful
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of April 2022: If you’re looking for delicious hilarity, characters filled with competency and quirk, and pure entertainment, then read Bonnie Garmus’ exuberant novel Lessons in Chemistry. Elizabeth Zott is an ambitious and accomplished scientist and is determined to be just that—and only that. But as we all know, life has a way of upending plans, and that’s exactly what happens to the inspiring (and at times, hilariously infuriating) Zott: Cupid’s arrow hits and the next thing you know she’s a mother and a TV cooking star. But in changing the kitchens of 1960’s America, Zott also challenges the status quo and that’s not exactly welcome in some circles. Lessons in Chemistry is a lot of fun to read: giddy laughter will bubble up but so too will your respect and admiration for a fearless and strong-willed woman who dares to be herself, in any circumstance. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
About Bonnie Garmus
Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who has worked for a wide range of clients, in the US and abroad, focusing primarily on technology, medicine, and education. She’s an open water swimmer, a rower, and mother to two pretty amazing daughters. Most recently from Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99.
II. [Reviews] Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus
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1. YUN Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Imagine if all men took women seriously . . .
When you come across that perfect read, at what point do you realize? For me, it was from the very first page of Lessons in Chemistry.
Honestly, who does Bonnie Garmus think she is, coming in here and writing a book that completely speaks to me? And on top of that, it’s her debut. Well, just knock me over with a feather too while you’re at it, why don’t you!
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1960s. The problem is, she is the only one who views herself that way. Her male colleagues cannot get past the fact that she’s a woman, and treat her more as a secretary and doormat, acknowledging her only long enough to steal her work. That is, until Calvin Evans, another brilliant chemist, comes along and really sees all that she is capable of. But life is unexpected, and so a few years later, Elizabeth is somehow the host of a cooking show. But in her heart, she still desires to be truly seen as a chemist.
You guys know how much I love strong female characters, and Elizabeth Zott is all that and more. She’s fearless in the face of adversity, she stays true to herself, and she never lets others intimidate her into being less than all she can be. In other words, she is my hero.
It’s not just Elizabeth who warms my heart. This story has the most wonderful collection of supporting characters. They add so much color and spirit to the whole thing. I wanted to hug them all. And if you’re an animal lover of any sort, just be ready to have your heart burst into a million ooey gooey pieces. In fact, Six-Thirty might just be my favorite literary dog of all time.
The writing is so witty and brilliant. There’s a zing to it that makes it feel zippy and wholly original. I couldn’t stop laughing and I couldn’t put it down. Usually I can’t wait to reach the end of a book so I can check it off my long TBR and move onto the next. But I wanted this to go and go and never end. I tried to savor every moment, but I ended up devouring it.
What an absolute delight this was, from the very first moment to the last. It possesses all the hallmarks of the very best stories. It made me laugh, feel, think, and wonder. It filled me with joy and buoyed my spirits. It gave me everything I wanted and everything I didn’t even know to ask for.
So many books come and go that often a true gem ends up buried in the deluge. Please don’t let this one pass you by. Go read it. You’ll be glad you did.
My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.
2. CEECEE Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
I don’t think anything I can say will do this book justice. I love it from beginning to end and it will most certainly be in my top five reads of 2021.
It’s November 1961 and chemist Elizabeth Zott, who works at the Hastings Institute, has fallen into a TV role hosting ‘Supper at Six’ and has become an unlikely star in the ascendant. Cooking is chemistry, chemistry is life. Elizabeth is far from your average ‘60’s woman. For a start she’s a single mother to Mad Zott, shock, horror, especially to Mad’s odious teacher. Have I mentioned the dog, Six-Thirty? A divine canine, a failed bomb detection dog of remarkable emotional intelligence. Ten years earlier, same Institute, Calvin Evans, introvert, grudge holder, a genius, an exceptionally good rower and desperate to find a girlfriend meets Elizabeth Zott, also a grudge holder especially against the patriarchy. Chemistry in every sense of the word.
Ok, here goes. It’s inspiring, heartwarming, sad, joyous, intelligent, funny, witty, quirky, original,highly entertaining, life affirmingly brilliant and genius in my opinion! It captures the times, the patronising way women are treated ( can you see my lip curl and a developing snarl?) the assumptions, the blatant sexism and way worse which shocks you to the core even though you know it’s all true. She uses chemistry to reveal the dangers of a lob sided society which is completely one sided and to demonstrate the false limits on the potential of 50% of the population. It’s so cleverly done and I’m a science dunce but it made sense to me! The dialogue is excellent, at times it’s laugh out loud funny as it’s so well phrased or the mastery of a put down or understatement. Elizabeth is quite simply fabulous, I love her and want to be her but I’ll certainly need to mug up on the chemistry! Equally amazing is Mad and yes, let’s go back to the dog. As a massive dog lover to have Six-Thirty as a character in his own right is admirable and it works so well. I adore him and want to adopt him. The relationships are excellent too, some are a meeting of minds or to nurture, of love and admiration, of kinship and some are of professional jealousy or sabotage.
Overall, you’ll have gathered that I think this debut is amazing and I urge you to read it. It has every ingredient of a book that fascinates, delights, charms and engages. If for nothing else read it for Six-Thirty … and to find his out he gets his name cos I’m not saying!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially huge thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Doubleday for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
3. JAYME Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
WITTY and WONDERFUL -this is a MUST READ, laugh out loud DEBUT!
Meet Elizabeth Zott.
She is a brilliant Chemist, a staunch Atheist, and a determined Feminist.
Most probably “on the spectrum” ( though this wasn’t recognized as such in the 1960’s) and most DEFINITELY ahead of her time, refusing to accept the status quo.
In need of beakers for her Lab, she dares to take some from the Lab of Hasting Research Institute’s Nobel-prize nominated star-Calvin Evans-a loner who holds a grudge, but the result is nothing that could have been predicted! The two fall in love, adopt “Six Thirty”, the smartest and most resourceful dog EVER, and dare to move in together-out of wedlock. GASP!
But, this isn’t a “Happily Ever After” love story.
Fast forward a couple of years, and Elizabeth is now a single mother, with a PRECOCIOUS 4 year old to support. When she discovers another child is taking advantage of her daughter Mad (the name was accidental) during lunch break at school, she demands a face to face meeting with the little girl’s father.
She leaves with much more than an apology.
SOMEHOW, she has agreed to host a “cooking show” on TV-though she insists that her show is about Chemistry!
The now RELUCTANT star of “Supper at Six” refuses to wear sexy dresses, insisting instead on a lab coat and the #2 pencil ✏️ she ALWAYS wears in her hair, or tucked behind one ear. (See it on the adorable book cover!)
And, she won’t even recite the dinner ingredients in layman’s terms. YET, after the very FIRST episode airs, the station’s phones are ringing off the hook-
All, I can say is “VINEGAR” ! 🤐
Within 2 years, her show is a staple in every household, with those in the studio audience and at home taking notes -jotting down ingredients, recipes and chemical equations!
Elizabeth, despite her lack of smiles, and her “no nonsense” approach has somehow struck a chord with the “housewives” she thought she had nothing in common with. It seems that she is teaching them to do more than “cook a sensible, nourishing dinner”.
I loved tuning in to these episodes! 📺
With the help of her “wise beyond her years” child, her overachieving dog, and a community of wonderful supporting characters, Elizabeth Zott-may just “change the world” one “thirty minute lesson at a time”!
Thank You to Doubleday for my gifted copy! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
NOW AVAILABLE!
4. PAROMJIT Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Set in the 1950s and 1960s, Bonnie Garmus’s offbeat comedic historical debut is a joyous and vibrant delight that will wrap its tentacles around your heart with its central protagonist, single mother and research scientist, the smart and beautiful Elizabeth Zott, whose passion for science has her seeing the world and people through the lens of Chemistry. Unfortunately for her, she lives in a time where it is believed that women have no place in science, it’s a world where men dominate, control, exploit, patronise and silence women, sexually harrassing, lying, cheating and stealing her research, publishing and passing it off as their own. It doesn’t stop there, men feel they can sexually assault a woman, and it will be the woman who pays the price, Elizabeth is forced to leave, unable to complete her PhD, with the police expecting her to ‘regret’ her behaviour, such are the rage inducing social norms and attitudes of the time.
However, Elizabeth is no ordinary woman, she refuses to pander to fragile male egos, it worries her not one whit that she doesn’t fit in at the patriarchal Hastings Institute, she accepts no limitations for herself, nor for anyone else. The chemistry between her and the star scientist, Calvin Evans, another man who does not fit either, leads to love, the two of them living together, Zott does not believe in marriage, and their religion is science. Circumstances result in Zott becoming a single mother to the precociously bright 4 year old, Mad, an early reader, voraciously consuming the likes of Norman Mailer and Charles Dickens. The challenges Zott faces, such as being fired for being pregnant and her dire financial circumstances has her becoming an unlikely, reluctant and uncompromising star, dressed in a lab coat, with her popular TV cooking show, Supper at Six, focusing on the chemistry of ingredients and recipes, carrying her subversive and radical agenda of making women question and challenge the cultural misogyny and the limitations placed on their lives. Needless to say, this makes her some implacable enemies.
What makes the strong and independent Zott able to face the unrelenting harsh pressures and problems that come her way are her close knit and growing family, at the centre of which is their protective genius dog no-one will be able to resist, Six-thirty, familiar with more than 600 words, neighbour Harriet Sloane, rower Dr Mason, her TV producer, Walter Pine, and the Reverend Wakely, perhaps we can include Miss Frask too. This is a remarkable, hilarious and unforgettable debut from Garmus, outrageously entertaining, with oodles of charm, and I have no doubt that this will be a runaway success on publication. Do yourself a favour and read this brilliant novel. Highly recommended! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
5. TAMMY A Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Lessons in Chemistry – Sooo much FUN!!!
Fun, interesting.. definitely quirky.. and I loved the 1950-60’s setting!
This is about Elizabeth Zott’s life; -her romance with a Pulitzer Prize nominated chemist, navigating motherhood, single and alone, with her lovable, intelligent mutt Six-Thirty, and how her career choice as a chemist wasn’t accepted by her peers back in that day and time. Due to the fact she’s a woman, Elizabeth is mistreated, and faced challenges daily.
Will she ever be recognized for her brains.. and be credited for her work?
This is her personal journey to finding acceptance and the credit she so well deserves as a talented chemist. When that’s taken away, she becomes a superstar TV chef.. and along the way empowers women to change their lives and their world. It’s a beautiful book about life’s lessons.. the challenges women face in a man’s world, and learning to make it their own. What a treat to read!
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub. 4/5/22
Thanks to the publisher for kindly providing an arc for an unbiased review.
6. JENNIFER Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Lessons in Chemistry – Quirky and original
Elizabeth Zott is a force to be reckoned with. She is a brilliant chemist, a fact that goes unrecognized because she is a woman in an era when women were only supposed to be housewives and mothers. The only one who sees her as an equal is the grudge-holding Calvin Evans, a prickly man who is also a chemist at the Hastings Research Institute. A rocky beginning leads to friendship, which soon grows to be more, and they find themselves in love, living together with their brilliant dog, Six-Thirty.
And then one day Elizabeth finds herself alone and pregnant, having to face a world where unmarried mothers are shunned by society, and soon she finds herself jobless and struggling to make a life for her and her daughter, Mad(eline). Then life throws her another curveball and she ends up as the host of an afternoon cooking show. But we’re not talking about your typical cooking show. Elizabeth gives the housewives who tune into her show the titular lessons in chemistry, breaking down not just how to cook a meal, but also the molecular processes involved. And although it seems that she’s just giving these women cooking lessons, she’s actually giving them a glimpse of what more they can achieve above and beyond being “just a housewife.” She’s giving them the support they are missing to pursue their dreams.
Quirky, charming, heartwarming, funny, life-affirming, inspiring, and one of the most original books I’ve read in a long time, Lessons in Chemistry will go down as one of my favorite books of 2022. Elizabeth Zott is a heroine for those who want their heroines to be smart, strong, barrier-breaking, and patriarchy-smashing. Garmus’s writing style is exquisite, and the story is told in multiple points of view, including the dog. Every supporting character is so well-developed that I crave an additional book for each of them. And of course Six-Thirty needs his own book. Like right now.
7. MR&MRS Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Lessons in Chemistry – Love This Book! A Unique Protagonist and Plot
It amazes me that this is a debut novel because every aspect of it is finely tuned to deliver a great read. I liked this book so much that I have already had a couple of copies sent out to friends as gifts. The protagonist- Elizabeth Zott- is an intelligent, strong-willed, STEM career-minded and determined female, trying to maintain her independence in the 1950’s. Her opinions are not the 1950’s norm. For example, she says “I’ve never understood why when women marry they’re expected to trade in their old names like used cars,…” And Elizabeth’s mother “had always insisted that the measure of a woman was how well she married.” And Elizabeth’s mother even brags to her daughter about the man she (the mother) COULD have married. Perhaps best of all, despite all of Elizabeth Zott’s opinions, she is definitely likeable. This is a good choice for book clubs as well as individual readers who simply like a good story. There are plenty of plot twists and surprises to keep a reader turning the pages. Kudos to the author, Bonnie Garmus, for this wonderful book.
8. NICOLA Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Lessons in Chemistry – A gem of a debut!!
I want to start this review by saying that I thought that I had read some amazing books already this year, ones that I had given 5 stars, I was wrong, having now read this stunner of a book. My 5 star reads from this point forward will all be measured on this book – this is my 5 star barometer!!
Elizabeth Zott is a Chemist in the 1960’s, the only problem is that everyone else sees her as everything but that! Her male colleagues won’t take her seriously and see her as nothing but a woman who has ideas above her station. Although they are all threatened by her greatness and are more than happy to steal her work. All apart from Calvin Evans who is also a chemist and known for his greatness in the field of science. Calvin never looks down on Elizabeth and they start a relationship that would have beautifully stood the test of time.
Unfortunately life doesn’t always go to plan and Elizabeth finds herself alone and as a single mother. She finds herself presenting a tv show called Supper at Six, she uses this as her platform to give ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ to the women of America who she knows are meant to be doing greater things than being typecast as a wife and mother – she empowers them to do great things with their lives.
From the first to the very last word of this book I was hooked. Elizabeth Zott is an absolute legend of a main character, I was rooting for her throughout the whole story. This book is fiction, but it had me pondering on more than one occasion what it must have been like to be a woman at this time, I’m so glad that women like Elizabeth Zott make it possible for me to have the life and freedom that I have today.
Elizabeth is a very serious character, a bit like her story but it is told with comedic moments that did have me laughing out loud, especially how her daughter Mad got her name. She is such an endearing leading lady that you would love to have someone like her stood in your corner as your mother, aunt, sibling or best friend.
If you’re after a book that will leave your heart full, then look no further than this absolute masterpiece of a debut from Bonnie Garmus.
9. NILUFER OZMEKIK Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Amazing news my friends! This fantastic book is adapted in streaming series on Apple TV starring with Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott and the other outstanding cast crew: Lewis Pullman, Beau Bridges, Ana Naomi King, Kevin Sussman, Thomas Mann,Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker! I cannot wait to binge watch it!
Okay folks, I just finished the BEST BOOK OF 2022! Now I can peacefully stop looking for something better and relax! No, I just lied. Not about finding the best book: this one is freaking AMAZING but I keep my searching to find the exemplary fictions like this that can sing to my heart and soul at the same time! Giving my five gazillion stars!
I loved the author’s extra intelligent, dark, original sense of humor! I fell in love with her characters. The story of Elizabeth brought out so many complex feelings: I laughed, I pissed off, I cried, I sighed, I laughed again and as soon as I finished the last chapter I gave my ovation! This is underrated secret gem! Don’t you dare to skip this book or make it root at your tbr. Just read it!
Let’s give you summary about the plot and introduce you to the characters:
Elizabeth Zott: how can I express my feelings about this character: she’s so unique, different, extraordinary, visionary, extremely quirky, odd, straightforward, honest, real feminist, intelligent, intellectual, fighter, survivor, a brilliant scientist who is brave enough to fight for her rights and her loved ones against the mansplaining, inequality, abuse, humiliation, disgracing!
In 1960, after her traumatic experience in UCLA, she starts working at Hastings Research Institute: administered with man power, ignoring her enthusiasm and her hard work. Only one person sees her and shows respect to her accomplishments. An aspiring, Nobel Prize nominated, grudge holder Calvin Evans.
First time they met he thought she was a secretary and second time they met he vomited on her. There is nothing ordinary about their love story. They are soul mates. They are great minds alike. They are the quirkiest, most unconventional couple. They rowed together. They adopted the ugliest and the most loyal, incredible dog. They named him six thirty. They were happy even though Elizabeth rejected to marry with him because she wanted to become an independent scientist, without getting acknowledged by her husband’s contributions.
But then…
We move forward to see Elizabeth building a new life, raising her four years old, extra smart,one of a kind, sweetest girl: Mad Zott, helping their dog six thirty improving his vocabulary skills and most importantly :she’s a tv star now!
She’s teaching woman using chemistry not only in their kitchen but in their entire life to embrace the change and challenge. She’s hosting the most eccentric cooking show called “ Supper at Six”
Her blunt and honest comments about marriage, religion and society’s norms will be considered as rebellious and unconventional.
Elizabeth is not alone. She has a fifty five years old, devoted neighbor Harriet Sloane who truly detests her husband. She has her supporting producer Walter Pine who believed her enough to give a chance at tv, raising his daughter by himself. Dr. Mason who likes to row with her, stopping by for washing her dishes and checking out her.
But Mad thinks her mother is not happy and her homework to create a family tree pushes her to search more about the facts about her father’s past. She doesn’t have any idea that her search will bring out so many secrets that everyone keeps for a long time.
Overall: best book I lately read! I fell in love with everything about this story! Highly extremely absolutely recommended!
10. MELISSA Review Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Everything I love in a book—smart women, great dog, found family. Excellent read.
I adored chemist Elizabeth Zott. She’s trying to exist in the “good old boys” world of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Where the woman’s place is in the home, remaining silent, and following along with what the men say. Yet Elizabeth isn’t wired that way, and the journey of this book shows her humor, warmth, and intelligence in a way that baffles the status quo.
This novel is uplifting, at times infuriating, and still every time heartwarming and encouraging. We all could use a bit of Elizabeth Zott in our lives (and a smart wonderful dog like Six-Thirty)
Highly recommended.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
III. [Quote] Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus
The best book quotes from Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
“Like most stupid people, Mr. Sloane wasn’t smart enough to know just how stupid he was.”
“Whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change – and change is what we’re chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others’ opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what YOU will change. And then get started.”
“(On religion) “I think it lets us off the hook. I think it teaches us that nothing is really our fault; that something or someone else is pulling the strings; the ultimately, we’re not to blame for the way things are; that to improve things, we should pray. But the truth is, we are very much responsible for the badness in the world. And we have the power to fix it.”
“Because while musical prodigies are always celebrated, early readers aren’t. And that’s because early readers are only good at something others will eventually be good at, too. So being first isn’t special – it’s just annoying.”
“Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun,”
“Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.”
“some things needed to stay in the past because the past was the only place they made sense.”
“And as humans, we’re by-products of our upbringings, victims of our lackluster educational systems, and choosers of our behaviors. In short, the reduction of women to something less than men, and the elevation of men to something more than women, is not biological: it’s cultural. And it starts with two words: pink and blue. Everything skyrockets out of control from there.” Speaking”
“No surprise. Idiots make it into every company. They tend to interview well.”
“On the other hand, wasn’t that the very definitely of life? Constant adaptations brought about by a series of never-ending mistakes?”
“Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize. Marriage counsellors would go out of business. Do you see my point?”
“Sometimes I think,” she said slowly, “that if a man were to spend a day being a woman in America, he wouldn’t make it past noon.”
“Chemistry is change and change is the core of your belief system. Which is good because that’s what we need more of—people who refuse to accept the status quo, who aren’t afraid to take on the unacceptable.”
“Every day she found parenthood like taking a test for which she had not studied. The questions were daunting and there wasn’t nearly enough multiple choice.”
“Humans need reassurance, they need to know others survived in hard times. And unlike other species which do a better job of learning from their mistakes, humans require constant threats and reminders to be nice.”
“It was a form of naïveté, he thought, the way she continued to believe that all it took to get through life was grit. Sure, grit was critical, but it also took luck, and if luck wasn’t available, then help. Everyone needed help. But maybe because she’d never been offered any, she refused to believe in it.”
“It’s just that we tend to treat pregnancy as the most common condition in the world—as ordinary as stubbing a toe—when the truth is, it’s like getting hit by a truck. Although obviously a truck causes less damage.”
“Elizabeth Zott held grudges too. Except her grudges were mainly reserved for a patriarchal society founded on the idea that women were less. Less capable. Less intelligent. Less inventive. A society that believed men went to work and did important things—discovered planets, developed products, created laws—and women stayed at home and raised children.”
“rowing is almost exactly like raising kids. Both require patience, endurance, strength, and commitment. And neither allow us to see where we’re going—only where we’ve been. I find that very reassuring, don’t you?”
“Having a baby, Elizabeth realized, was a little like living with a visitor from a distant planet. There was a certain amount of give and take as the visitor learned your ways and you learned theirs, but gradually their ways faded and your ways stuck. Which she found regrettable. Because unlike adults, her visitor never tired of even the smallest discovery; always saw the magic in the extraordinary.”
“Whenever you start doubting yourself, whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.”
“For Elizabeth, cooking wasn’t some preordained feminine duty. As she’d told Calvin, cooking was chemistry. That’s because cooking actually is chemistry.”
“Whenever you start doubting yourself,” she said, turning back to the audience, “whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others’ opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what you will change. And then get started.”
“On top of his grudge holding, he had a reputation for impatience. Like so many brilliant people, Calvin just couldn’t understand how no one else got it. He was also an introvert, which isn’t really a flaw but often manifests itself as standoffishness. Worst of all, he was a rower. As any non-rower can tell you, rowers are not fun. This is because rowers only ever want to talk about rowing. Get two or more rowers in a room and the conversation goes from normal topics like work or weather to long, pointless stories about boats, blisters, oars, grips, ergs, feathers, workouts, catches, releases, recoveries, splits, seats, strokes, slides, starts, settles, sprints, and whether the water was really “flat” or not. From there, it usually progresses to what went wrong on the last row, what might go wrong on the next row, and whose fault it was and/or will be. At some point the rowers will hold out their hands and compare calluses. If you’re really unlucky, this could be followed by several minutes of head-bowing reverence as one of them recounts the perfect row where it all felt easy.”
“The librarian is the most important educator in school. What she doesn’t know, she can find out. This is not an opinion; it’s a fact. Do not share this fact with Mrs. Mudford.”
“I don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.” “But you realize,” she said carefully, as if not to embarrass him further, “that faith isn’t based on religion. Right?”
“Because while stupid people may not know they’re stupid because they’re stupid, surely unattractive people must know they’re unattractive because of mirrors.”
“He’d not had much experience with families, but he’d always assumed that being part of one was important: a prerequisite for stability, what one relied on to get through the hard times. He’d never really considered that a family could actually be the hard times.”
“Why do you think so many people believe in texts written thousands of years ago? And why does it seem the more supernatural, unprovable, improbable, and ancient the source of these texts, the more people believe them?”
“Too many brilliant minds are kept from scientific research thanks to ignorant biases like gender and race. It infuriates me and it should infuriate you. Science has big problems to solve: famine, disease, extinction. And those who purposefully close the door to others using self-serving, outdated cultural notions are not only dishonest, they’re knowingly lazy. Hastings Research Institute is full of them.”
“I think it lets us off the hook. I think it teaches us that nothing is really our fault; that something or someone else is pulling the strings; that ultimately, we’re not to blame for the way things are; that to improve things, we should pray. But the truth is, we are very much responsible for the badness in the world. And we have the power to fix it.”
Book excerpts: Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus
Chapter 1 – Lessons in Chemistry
November 1961
Back in 1961, when women wore shirtwaist dresses and joined garden clubs and drove legions of children around in seatbeltless cars without giving it a second thought; back before anyone knew there’d even be a sixties movement, much less one that its participants would spend the next sixty years chronicling; back when the big wars were over and the secret wars had just begun and people were starting to think fresh and believe everything was possible, the thirty-year-old mother of Madeline Zott rose before dawn every morning and felt certain of just one thing: her life was over.
Despite that certainty, she made her way to the lab to pack her daughter’s lunch.
Fuel for learning, Elizabeth Zott wrote on a small slip of paper before tucking it into her daughter’s lunch box. Then she paused, her pencil in midair, as if reconsidering. Play sports at recess but do not automatically let the boys win, she wrote on another slip. Then she paused again, tapping her pencil against the table. It is not your imagination, she wrote on a third. Most people are awful. She placed the last two on top.
Most young children can’t read, and if they can, it’s mostly words like “dog” and “go.” But Madeline had been reading since age three and, now, at age five, was already through most of Dickens.
Madeline was that kind of child–the kind who could hum a Bach concerto but couldn’t tie her own shoes; who could explain the earth’s rotation but stumbled at tic-tac-toe. And that was the problem. Because while musical prodigies are always celebrated, early readers aren’t. And that’s because early readers are only good at something others will eventually be good at, too. So being first isn’t special–it’s just annoying.
Madeline understood this. That’s why she made it a point each morning–after her mother had left and while her babysitter neighbor, Harriet, was busy–to extract the notes from the lunch box, read them, then store them with all the other notes that she kept in a shoebox in the back of her closet. Once at school she pretended to be like all the other kids: basically illiterate. To Madeline, fitting in mattered more than anything. And her proof was irrefutable: her mother had never fit in and look what happened to her.
It was there, in the Southern Californian town of Commons, where the weather was mostly warm, but not too warm, and the sky was mostly blue, but not too blue, and the air was clean because air just was back then, that she lay in her bed, eyes closed, and waited. Soon she knew there’d be a gentle kiss on her forehead, a careful tuck of covers about her shoulders, a murmuring of “Seize the day” in her ear. In another minute, she’d hear the start of a car engine, a crunch of tires as the Plymouth backed down the drive, a clunky shift from reverse to first. And then her permanently depressed mother would set off for the television studio where she would don an apron and walk out onto a set.
The show was called Supper at Six, and Elizabeth Zott was its indisputable star.
Chapter 2
Pine
Once a research chemist, Elizabeth Zott was a woman with flawless skin and an unmistakable demeanor of someone who was not average and never would be.
She was, as all good stars are, discovered. Although in Elizabeth’s case, there was no malt shop, no accidental bench sighting, no lucky introduction. Instead, it was theft–specifically food theft–that led to her discovery.
The story was simple: a child named Amanda Pine, who enjoyed food in a way some therapists consider significant, was eating Madeline’s lunch. This was because Madeline’s lunch was not average. While all the other children gummed their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Madeline opened her lunch box to find a thick slice of leftover lasagna, a side helping of buttery zucchini, an exotic kiwi cut into quarters, five pearly round cherry tomatoes, a tiny Morton salt shaker, two still-warm chocolate chip cookies, and a red plaid thermos full of ice-cold milk.
These contents were why everyone wanted Madeline’s lunch, Madeline included. But Madeline offered it to Amanda because friendship requires sacrifice, but also because Amanda was the only one in the entire school who didn’t make fun of the odd child Madeline already knew she was.
It wasn’t until Elizabeth noticed that Madeline’s clothes began to hang on her bony frame like bad drapes that she began to wonder what was going on. According to her calculations, Madeline’s daily intake was exactly what her daughter required for optimal development, making weight loss scientifically inconceivable. A growth spurt, then? No. She’d accounted for growth in her calculations. Early onset food disorder? Not likely. Madeline ate like a horse at dinner. Leukemia? Definitely not. Elizabeth wasn’t an alarmist–she wasn’t the type who lay awake at night imagining her daughter was plagued by incurable disease. As a scientist, she always sought a sensible explanation, and the moment she met Amanda Pine, her little lips stained a pomodoro-sauce red, she knew she’d found it.
“Mr. Pine,” Elizabeth said, sweeping into the local television studio and past a secretary on a Wednesday afternoon, “I’ve been calling you for three days, and not once have you managed the courtesy of a return call. My name is Elizabeth Zott. I am Madeline Zott’s mother–our children attend Woody Elementary together–and I’m here to tell you that your daughter is offering my daughter friendship under false pretenses.” And because he looked confused, she added, “Your daughter is eating my daughter’s lunch.”
“L-lunch?” Walter Pine managed, as he took in the woman who stood resplendent before him, her white lab coat casting an aura of holy light save for one detail: the initials “E.Z.” emblazoned in red just above the pocket.
“Your daughter, Amanda,” Elizabeth charged again, “eats my daughter’s lunch. Apparently, it’s been going on for months.”
Walter could only stare. Tall and angular, with hair the color of burnt buttered toast pulled back and secured with a pencil, she stood, hands on hips, her lips unapologetically red, her skin luminous, her nose straight. She looked down at him like a battlefield medic assessing whether or not he was worth saving.
“And the fact that she pretends to be Madeline’s friend to get her lunch,” she continued, “is absolutely reprehensible.”
“Wh-who are you again?” stammered Walter.
“Elizabeth Zott!” she barked back. “Madeline Zott’s mother!”
Walter nodded, trying to understand. As a longtime producer of afternoon television, he knew drama. But this? He continued to stare. She was stunning. He was literally stunned by her. Was she auditioning for something?
“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “But all the nurse roles have been cast.”
“I beg your pardon?” she snapped.
There was a long pause.
“Amanda Pine,” she repeated.
He blinked. “My daughter? Oh,” he said, suddenly nervous. “What about her? Are you a doctor? Are you from the school?” He leapt to his feet.
“Good god, no,” Elizabeth replied. “I’m a chemist. I’ve come all the way over here from Hastings on my lunch hour because you’ve failed to return my calls.” And when he continued to look baffled, she clarified. “Hastings Research Institute? Where Groundbreaking Research Breaks Ground?” She exhaled at the vacuous tagline. “The point is, I put a great amount of effort into making a nutritious lunch for Madeline–something that I’m sure you also strive to do for your child.” And when he continued to stare at her blankly, she added, “Because you care about Amanda’s cognitive and physical development. Because you know such development is reliant on offering the correct balance of vitamins and minerals.”
“The thing is, Mrs. Pine is–”
“Yes, I know. Missing in action. I tried to contact her but was told she lives in New York.”
“We’re divorced.”
“Sorry to hear, but divorce has little to do with lunch.”
“It might seem that way, but–”
“A man can make lunch, Mr. Pine. It is not biologically impossible.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed, fumbling with a chair. “Please, Mrs. Zott, please sit.”
“I have something in the cyclotron,” she said irritably, glancing at her watch. “Do we have an understanding or not?”
“Cyclo–”
“Subatomic particle accelerator.”
Elizabeth glanced at the walls. They were filled with framed posters advertising melodramatic soap operas and gimmicky game shows.
“My work,” Walter said, suddenly embarrassed by their crassness. “Maybe you’ve seen one?”
She turned back to face him. “Mr. Pine,” she said in a more conciliatory manner, “I’m sorry I don’t have the time or resources to make your daughter lunch. We both know food is the catalyst that unlocks our brains, binds our families, and determines our futures. And yet . . .” She trailed off, her eyes growing narrow as she took in a soap opera poster featuring a nurse giving a patient some unusual care. “Does anyone have the time to teach the entire nation to make food that matters? I wish I did, but I don’t. Do you?”
As she turned to leave, Pine, not wanting her to go or fully understanding what he was about to hatch, said quickly, “Wait, please just stop–please. What–what was that thing you just said? About teaching the whole nation how to make food that–that matters?”
Supper at Six debuted four weeks later. And while Elizabeth wasn’t entirely keen on the idea–she was a research chemist–she took the job for the usual reasons: it paid more and she had a child to support.
From the first day Elizabeth donned an apron and walked onto the set, it was obvious: she had “it,” the “it” being that elusive, entirely watchable quality. But she was also a person of substance–someone so forthright, so no-nonsense that people didn’t know what to make of her. While other cooking shows featured good-natured chefs gleefully tipping back the sherry, Elizabeth Zott was serious. She never smiled. She never made jokes. And her dishes were as honest and down-to-earth as she was.
Within six months, Elizabeth’s show was a rising star. Within a year, an institution. And within two years, it had proven its uncanny power not only to unite parents with their children, but citizens with their country. It is not an exaggeration to say that when Elizabeth Zott finished cooking, an entire nation sat down to eat.
Even Vice President Lyndon Johnson watched her show. “You want to know what I think?” he said as he waved off a persistent reporter. “I think you ought to write less and watch TV more. Start with Supper at Six–that Zott, she knows what she’s doing.”
And she did. You’d never find Elizabeth Zott explaining how to make tiny cucumber sandwiches or delicate soufflés. Her recipes were hearty: stews, casseroles, things made in big metal pans. She stressed the four food groups. She believed in decent portions. And she insisted that any dish worth making was worth making in under an hour. She ended every show with her signature line: “Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself.”
But then a prominent reporter wrote an article entitled “Why We’ll Eat Whatever She Dishes Out” and, in passing, referred to her as “Luscious Lizzie,” a nickname that, because it was both apt and alliterative, stuck to her as quickly as it did the paper it was printed on. From that day forward, strangers called her Luscious, but her daughter, Madeline, called her Mom, and although she was just a child, Madeline could already see that the nickname belittled her mother’s talents. She was a chemist, not a TV cook. And Elizabeth, self-conscious in front of her only child, felt ashamed.
Sometimes Elizabeth lay in bed at night and wondered how her life had come to this. But the wonder never lasted long because she already knew.
His name was Calvin Evans.
….
Note: Above are quotes and excerpts from the book “Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus”. If you find it interesting and useful, don’t forget to buy paper books to support the Author and Publisher!
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