Review: Lessons in Chemistry

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars - I’ll tell you to read it, even if you don’t ask me.

Book Summary:

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.

Review:

I really enjoyed reading the story of Elizabeth Zott. Even in today’s world, I can relate to those who don’t seem to understand that women can be more than housewives, secretaries, or sex objects. I loved the random sections that are from the perspective of the dog, Six Thirty, who learns right along-side Mad, Elizabeth’s daughter. It was interesting to think of a cooking show being presented from a scientific perspective, but once started I loved it. I was glad that I was reading on a Kindle though, as it allowed me to look up the scientific names while reading to understand. For instance, I knew that sodium chloride is salt, but there were others that were foreign to me. Elizabeth Zott is someone who did not fit the female stereotype of a woman in the 1960s, but she was a strong independent woman. She had no interest in marriage (but cohabitation was ok), enjoyed rowing (a sport that wasn’t common for women), and her love of science made her different from most. All this made me love her even more. I am not a rower, but I know some who are. I also know that I love competitive sports and the expansion of regular availability to women (for instance, women’s college wrestling!).

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