Have you ever bought a book and then felt scared to read it in case it’s not as good as you hoped it would be? I honestly hadn’t seen a negative Lessons in Chemistry book review and it actually made me nervous!
There was SO much hype surrounding this book. Everyone was raving about it including when it was featured on Between The Covers with Sara Cox.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was released in 2022 and was a New York Times bestseller. It was winner of the Goodreads Choice Best Debut Novel Award and led Bonnie Garmus to win Author of the Year at the British Book Awards.
I bought it on the day of its release but I’ve only just read it as I finally decided to see for myself whether it lived up to all that hype.
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Book Blurb
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.
But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take 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.
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.
Lessons in Chemistry Book Review
So, did it live up to the hype? A massive, resounding, YES! I loved this book.
Elizabeth Zott is such a compelling main character and one that will stay with me for a long time. What a woman! She was a brilliant scientist and a feminist icon. She was strong and capable and always stood up for what she believed in, and yet the author still allowed us to see her vulnerable side.
It was funny and joyful and yet really touching and sad in others. It was so inspiring and had me seething at the men who had treated Elizabeth, and those like her, so appallingly. I can’t even imagine how difficult life as female chemist must have been during that time.
I loved how through her role as a host of a cooking show, Elizabeth championed her female audience and opened their eyes to women’s rights and gender equality.
Six Thirty, the dog, was a fantastic addition to the story. I loved him just as much as I loved Elizabeth. His insights were brilliant and I loved how seriously he took his role as protector.
I loved the relationship between Elizabeth and her daughter, Mad, and particularly enjoyed how the author showed Elizabeth’s struggle to adjust to motherhood. I found it was a realistic portrayal of those early days with a newborn and how important it is to accept help. Even strong women need to admit they are struggling. Perhaps that’s what makes them so strong.
There are a couple of unlikely coincidences and I did find I had to suspend belief at times but I can completely overlook that when I love the story so much.
It’s so hard to believe this book is Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel because, honestly, it was just brilliant. This is a beautifully written novel with characters you can really care about.
I absolutely loved it.
What books are like Lessons in Chemistry?
If enjoy historical fiction with strong female characters, you may also be interested in:
- The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Lessons in Chemistry TV Show
The book has been made into an Apple TV show starring Brie Larson. Be warned that the show does take liberties with the original story and there are some pretty major changes. However I still really enjoyed the show, just not as much as the book!