If you’re a reader, chances are you’ve heard of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. A #1 New York Times best seller and one of the New York Times most notable books of the year for 2022, this story has found a special place in many hearts, including mine.
Taking place in the ‘60s, this novel follows chemist Elizabeth Zott. For Zott, the science comes easily. Being accepted as a chemist in a society that prefers its women to bake pies? Not so much.
After a series of events leads Elizabeth to leave her job with the all-male Hasting Research Institute, she finds herself the host of a cooking show, Supper at Six. Refusing to leave her chemist identity behind, Elizabeth takes a scientific approach to cooking. Cooking is, after all, chemistry.
Lessons in Chemistry is one of my new favorite novels. Original, witty, and motivational, this novel not only tells a poignant story, but highlights the battle for equality that women who came generations before us fought. Without real-life women like Elizabeth Zott, would there be a Her Campus?
My favorite aspect of this story is the characterization. Each character has a unique personality, and readers get to see inside their heads with a multiple-POV approach. My favorite character? Six-Thirty, the Zotts’ dog and friend.
Although each character has a unique personality and unique storyline, Garmus expertly entangles them together. I love when authors highlight the connections between two seemingly unrelated characters or events.
Overall, Lessons in Chemistry was a fresh novel, and I enjoyed both the story and the social narrative behind it.