Lessons in Chemistry – Review

Spoiler alert, this is one of my favorite books of the year, hands down. What an unexpected joy this was that had me laughing and crying. I 100 percent recommend this book to people who like books centered around women who fight back for equality and who fight to be seen. I loved everything about this place.

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.

What can I say about this book? It’s funny, it’s hard hitting, it’s rage inducing, it’s a bit weird, it’s heart warming and it’s unique. I have never read a book like this before, and it comes at a time when being a woman in the U.S. is hard. I finished this in one day, June 24, a day that we will know now as the day women had their rights taken away, and to finish it then really just made it more impactful for me.

Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott. She’s an extremely intelligent scientist, she’s had a terribly rough, traumatic childhood who grew up wanting to be in science. She also experienced something horrible that puts a halt on her PhD journey and she ends up working at a lab where she is treated less than because she’s a woman in science. She meets loner genius Calvin Harris and they fall in love. Tragically Calvin is killed and leaves Elizabeth pregnant and alone, also dealing with the horrible sexism in her job and on her on to raise their child.

Years later, Elizabeth and her daughter Mad, who is a little genius because how could she not be, are living the best life they can. Elizabeth is discovered by a producer when she storms into his office about his daughter. She begins hosting a cooking show called Supper at Six, in which she uses her experience in chemistry and science to teach women about cooking but also about being smart, capable and just as equal to men.

I absolutely love everything about this book. It’s not only this great story of Elizabeth never backing down from people telling her doesn’t belong in science because she’s a women, it’s a story of overcoming the grief of losing a loved one and how Elizabeth tackles the loss of Calvin affects her and her daughter. There are so many moments of this book that made me want to light fires because of the sexism and both physical and emotional abuse she faces in her profession, but there were so many moments that were heartwarming as there are wonderful side characters there to support Elizabeth and Mad. My favorite is a dog named Six Thirty. He’s the best character in all honestly.

Highly, highly recommend this book! It’s an amazing debut and I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next.