Call number
FIC GAR
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Publication
Doubleday (2022), 394 pages
Description
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 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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member arubabookwoman
I'll admit that I'm not the target audience for this book. I'm too old, and I lived through the workforce sex discrimination that women experienced in the 1950's and 60"s (for me the early 70"s). So for me the book, which at times becomes a bit of a polemic, was not particularly realistic in its
Forgetting the books feminist agenda, and approaching its as a rom/com, chick lit, quirky female character, feel-good book, there was a lot of good and clever stuff going on here, though I do have to say that I've liked the two other books of this ilk that I've read better. (The Cactus and Eleanor Oliphant). But despite the good, imaginative and clever stuff, the author frequently ruined it for me by going over-the-top time after time. For example, Elizabeth has a young daughter who is extremely intelligent. Fine, but then the author has the daughter reading Norman Mailer and Nabokov's Lolita before entering kindergarten. The author creates a wonderful dog character, but then has Elizabeth teaching the dog word by showing it pictures in a book. And it is true that many men back then made outrageous and sexist comments to women in the workplace, and were oblivious about it. But I don't think 99% of them were rapists. Here, a lot of the men Elizabeth encounters are at the least attempted rapists.
And there is one other thing that bothered me about the book. Why can't there be a book about a scientist with the scientist being on the spectrum, or at least being extremely nerdy? Why can't there be a scientist who is completely "normal" socially? Because clearly Elizabeth is on the spectrum and totally lacking in social skills. I guess it was thought to make the book funnier.
I'm not regretting I read this book. But it could have been so much better.
2 stars
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depiction of the time, and a bit over-the-top in the actions of some of the characters. Elizabeth, the chemist, in the 1950's and 1960's has too much of a 21st century mindset for the time in which she is living.Forgetting the books feminist agenda, and approaching its as a rom/com, chick lit, quirky female character, feel-good book, there was a lot of good and clever stuff going on here, though I do have to say that I've liked the two other books of this ilk that I've read better. (The Cactus and Eleanor Oliphant). But despite the good, imaginative and clever stuff, the author frequently ruined it for me by going over-the-top time after time. For example, Elizabeth has a young daughter who is extremely intelligent. Fine, but then the author has the daughter reading Norman Mailer and Nabokov's Lolita before entering kindergarten. The author creates a wonderful dog character, but then has Elizabeth teaching the dog word by showing it pictures in a book. And it is true that many men back then made outrageous and sexist comments to women in the workplace, and were oblivious about it. But I don't think 99% of them were rapists. Here, a lot of the men Elizabeth encounters are at the least attempted rapists.
And there is one other thing that bothered me about the book. Why can't there be a book about a scientist with the scientist being on the spectrum, or at least being extremely nerdy? Why can't there be a scientist who is completely "normal" socially? Because clearly Elizabeth is on the spectrum and totally lacking in social skills. I guess it was thought to make the book funnier.
I'm not regretting I read this book. But it could have been so much better.
2 stars
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Loved all the amazing characters. The story was funny, sad, and interesting. Everything worked especially the dog
LibraryThing member Tytania
Plot: Elizabeth is a woman trying to make it as a chemist circa 1960. She faces brutal sexual harassment. Her fellow-genius-chemist lover suddenly dies in a freak accident after impregnating her. She struggles to raise her baby and continue doing chemistry in her kitchen. In another freak turn of
Books that don't feel true to the period drive me up a wall. I grew weary picking up my phone to fact-check all the anachronisms. A sampling:
- Someone who allegedly saw the Beatles already in 1960, and they already had long hair.
- Reference to "libertarian bullshit". The word "libertarian" goes back a ways but wasn't common in American discourse till the 70s.
- Reference to Swedish subsidized childcare. Sweden nominally began providing such directly after WWII, but it was ineffectual and didn't really take off until, again, the 70s. People wouldn't be throwing around Sweden as an example of workable socialism in 1960.
Second annoyance: one of my favorite tropes, the Bratty Kid. Granted I mostly liked Madeline, Elizabeth's bastard child who is a 4-year-old kindergartener through most of the book. I'll buy that she's precocious and accept some over-the-top examples for comic effect. But I didn't buy how everyone treated this 4-year-old as a tiny adult, not just her mom.
Thirdly, when we got glimpses into how Elizabeth actually conducted her inexplicably wildly popular cooking show, I wished the author would have left it up to our imaginations. Her explanation of the difference between ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds, trying to compare them to relationships, was not only ridiculous, but bore only the flimsiest relationship to cooking.
Finally, eh. It just wasn't a serious book and had too much parenty crap for my taste - I don't mean the Elizabeth-Madeline relationship, more all the crap about Elizabeth and Calvin's parentage and pasts. The most common chick-lit climax of all... "And the mother/father really WAS.... [drumroll]" This is a book to toss.
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events, she lands a job hosting a chemistry cooking show. Finally, a series of unlikely events lead to the explanations behind her dead lover's horrendous childhood.Books that don't feel true to the period drive me up a wall. I grew weary picking up my phone to fact-check all the anachronisms. A sampling:
- Someone who allegedly saw the Beatles already in 1960, and they already had long hair.
- Reference to "libertarian bullshit". The word "libertarian" goes back a ways but wasn't common in American discourse till the 70s.
- Reference to Swedish subsidized childcare. Sweden nominally began providing such directly after WWII, but it was ineffectual and didn't really take off until, again, the 70s. People wouldn't be throwing around Sweden as an example of workable socialism in 1960.
Second annoyance: one of my favorite tropes, the Bratty Kid. Granted I mostly liked Madeline, Elizabeth's bastard child who is a 4-year-old kindergartener through most of the book. I'll buy that she's precocious and accept some over-the-top examples for comic effect. But I didn't buy how everyone treated this 4-year-old as a tiny adult, not just her mom.
Thirdly, when we got glimpses into how Elizabeth actually conducted her inexplicably wildly popular cooking show, I wished the author would have left it up to our imaginations. Her explanation of the difference between ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds, trying to compare them to relationships, was not only ridiculous, but bore only the flimsiest relationship to cooking.
Finally, eh. It just wasn't a serious book and had too much parenty crap for my taste - I don't mean the Elizabeth-Madeline relationship, more all the crap about Elizabeth and Calvin's parentage and pasts. The most common chick-lit climax of all... "And the mother/father really WAS.... [drumroll]" This is a book to toss.
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LibraryThing member Lady_Lazarus
Easy-read with scientific and feminist twist sounded interesting enough for me to grab it, although in general I'm very skeptical of books with big hype. It turned out I should have been more skeptical with this one as well. The biggest turn-off for me was how everything that can be bad and can go
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wrong is bad and goes wrong for the main characters. I mean, there would be enough story for the struggle as a woman in academia, but then there's everything else beginning with bad and sad childhood and abandoning or dead parents and what else... Of course, this makes the struggle in science and as a single parent even harder as you don't have the support of your family, but ugh, how the misery and injustice seems to define one's life has bugged me since the first Harry Potter. Or maybe it is how the story is told and how the characters are left very flat. They should be scarred, they should feel something, right? But Elizabeth Zott doesn't seem like a real, suffering human among all the mess that is her life. She seems a bit autistic, which would be ok, but I think autistic people also have feelings. In the beginning of the book I was actually very fascinated about her daughter's perspective, because it at least seemed real, but unfortunately that perspective and basically the daughter was quickly forgotten and never returned to later in the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
I absolutely loved this book about the fearless and determined chemist Elizabeth Zott. It is the 1950-60s, and women aren't considered equal to men. Until she meets Calvin Evans, a brilliant chemist who actually sees her worth and her brilliant mind. They fall in love. Calvin teaches her to row,
They are unique. They want to work together and grow with each other. They get a dog - a very intelligent dog, 630. The dog sees and knows everything! It learns language, and definitely can smell a friend or an enemy.
Elizabeth Zott hosts a cooking show, Supper at Six, where she teaches women about the chemical approach to cooking. She also encourages women to buck the trend and stand up for themselves.
Elizabeth Zott and Calvin's daughter, Mad, is precocious in her own right. Along with Elizabeth Zott's neighbor, Harriet, they research Mad's family tree, leading to a special discovery.
FABULOUS!!!!
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and tells her about his childhood in an orphanage.They are unique. They want to work together and grow with each other. They get a dog - a very intelligent dog, 630. The dog sees and knows everything! It learns language, and definitely can smell a friend or an enemy.
Elizabeth Zott hosts a cooking show, Supper at Six, where she teaches women about the chemical approach to cooking. She also encourages women to buck the trend and stand up for themselves.
Elizabeth Zott and Calvin's daughter, Mad, is precocious in her own right. Along with Elizabeth Zott's neighbor, Harriet, they research Mad's family tree, leading to a special discovery.
FABULOUS!!!!
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
You know how it feels to pick up a novel way after the cool kids have finished it? Either that they were completely right to love it so, or that you're missing something. Well, I'm both. Of course I love Chemist Elizabeth Zott, but I loved Chemist Calvin Evans more, and I missed him to the extent
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that I felt let down through the rest of the book, which was too long by about 100 pages. All of the minor characters were enjoyable, especially Six-Thirty, and I despised the villains. I enjoyed Calvin's quirks, his devotion to rowing and the upwardly mobile admiration of Elizabeth by her audience. I didn't like the back-and-forth to the Hastings Research Institute and all the ugliness originating from it, and I didn't like the denouement, which I thought was weak and anti-climatic. But I thought it captured the zeitgeist of the second wave feminist era very well, with enough gentle humor and vicious sarcasm to please me. Show Less
LibraryThing member miss.mesmerized
Elizabeth Zott is a famous cooking show host in the 1960s. People love the way she beings cooking to their homes which is quite different from what everybody else does. She explains the chemistry behind the food and the processes she operates in the kitchen because, well, cooking is simply
Bonnie Garmus‘ novel is a rollercoaster of emotions which first and foremost lives from the outstanding protagonist who is unique and exceptional in all respects, a feminist long before the word existed in the common knowledge, stubborn and intelligent at the same time. Life is so unfair to her that I wanted to shout at times, but, on the other hand, “Lessons in Chemistry” also highlights what a change a single person can make.
Elizabeth has chosen a highly misogynist environment, science labs in the 1950s were no places for women, except for the secretaries. Already the idea that she could have an equal - not to speak of a superior - mind as her male colleague seems unimaginable. But not only does she encounter men who look down on her, harassment and even assaults are normal parts of a woman’s professional life. When she encounters Calvin, things seem to have the potential to change, but he, too, despite being a prodigies and highly regarded, cannot influence his colleagues’ attitudes that much.
A female fighter who only briefly after the birth of her daughter goes down, but stands up again. She uses her cooking show to inspire others, to send out her messages ignorant of conventions and the risk of losing her job. She knows that things must change and that women need the same chances as their male colleagues. The fight she has chosen seems unwinnable und futile, but for her, it is worth every setback.
A wonderful novel, funny and tragic, oscillating between the emotional extremes, with amazing female characters who even today can inspire and motivate readers since the battle of equality still has not been won.
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chemistry. But this is not what the mother of 10-year-old Madeline had in mind. She wanted to work in a lab and do serious research. However, she was ahead of her time, women were supposed to marry and take care of the home and children but not taken seriously as scientists. Only Calvin Evans, one of her colleagues who is as passionate about chemistry as Elisabeth, recognises her potential and treats her as an equal. They quickly become much more than colleagues. As lovers, they are soulmates and have found the other part they have always missed. Fate, however, had other plans for them.Bonnie Garmus‘ novel is a rollercoaster of emotions which first and foremost lives from the outstanding protagonist who is unique and exceptional in all respects, a feminist long before the word existed in the common knowledge, stubborn and intelligent at the same time. Life is so unfair to her that I wanted to shout at times, but, on the other hand, “Lessons in Chemistry” also highlights what a change a single person can make.
Elizabeth has chosen a highly misogynist environment, science labs in the 1950s were no places for women, except for the secretaries. Already the idea that she could have an equal - not to speak of a superior - mind as her male colleague seems unimaginable. But not only does she encounter men who look down on her, harassment and even assaults are normal parts of a woman’s professional life. When she encounters Calvin, things seem to have the potential to change, but he, too, despite being a prodigies and highly regarded, cannot influence his colleagues’ attitudes that much.
A female fighter who only briefly after the birth of her daughter goes down, but stands up again. She uses her cooking show to inspire others, to send out her messages ignorant of conventions and the risk of losing her job. She knows that things must change and that women need the same chances as their male colleagues. The fight she has chosen seems unwinnable und futile, but for her, it is worth every setback.
A wonderful novel, funny and tragic, oscillating between the emotional extremes, with amazing female characters who even today can inspire and motivate readers since the battle of equality still has not been won.
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LibraryThing member LivelyLady
Set in the 1950s, a woman chemist is subjected to work discrimination and sexual harassment, very timely at that time. She becomes a single mother and falls into a work gig pushing her into national recognition. It was indicative of the times, but there were too many subplots and it rambled. There
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was a small bit of humor in a dog that understood language. Show Less
LibraryThing member Familiar_Diversions
Content warning: sexual assault.
This starts in 1952 and ends in the early 1960s. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist whose primary research interest is abiogenesis. Unfortunately, her lab at Hasting Research Institute never gets much in the way of proper funding, attention, or supplies, and her first
What follows is the story of how Elizabeth went from that in the 1950s to being a single mother starring in a wildly popular cooking show by 1961.
I read this for a book club. I'd previously seen it pretty much everywhere but hadn't been particularly interested in it. The preview I saw for the TV adaptation was, I think, what clued me in on the cooking and historical aspects. That, combined with the cover art, had me thinking that this would be a light historical romantic comedy featuring a combination of chemistry and cooking. Instead, it's really more historical women's fiction, and the cooking show takes half the book to show up.
Because I thought it was a historical romantic comedy, the on-page sexual assault within the first 20 pages came as a nasty shock (a respected professor forced himself on her when she was a PhD student, which ended with her getting kicked out of her doctoral program). I don't know what I was expecting from the Calvin Evans stuff that followed, but a mostly happy relationship in which they lived together and had lots of sex and stimulating academic discussions wasn't it.
The addition of Six-Thirty the dog to the story almost made it more cutesy than I could stand. I like dogs, I technically liked Six-Thirty, but then the author made him super-smart, learning hundreds of words from Elizabeth, and wrote sections from his POV. Between him and Elizabeth's equally super-smart daughter, it was a bit much. (FYI, for those needing this animal-related spoiler:the dog does not die ).
When the cooking show aspects finally showed up, I enjoyed the overall energy of it but couldn't bring myself to believe in any of it. Supposedly this cooking show somehow became so popular that women were glued to it and taking notes on whatever Elizabeth said. I might have believed it if Elizabeth had been explaining, in layman's terms, how to understand the chemistry behind cooking and use it to improve meals, but what was described sounded more like college lectures. I understand that part of her appeal was supposed to be that she respected her audience's intelligence and refused to dumb anything down or depict herself as the vapid sexy housewife the show's producer expected her to be, but the average woman's kitchen isn't set up like a laboratory and you'll have more luck looking for "salt" on grocery store shelves than "sodium chloride."
While I appreciated where this book ended up, I don't know that I'd have finished it if it hadn't been for my upcoming book club meeting. I just wasn't in the mood.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
This starts in 1952 and ends in the early 1960s. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist whose primary research interest is abiogenesis. Unfortunately, her lab at Hasting Research Institute never gets much in the way of proper funding, attention, or supplies, and her first
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encounter with Calvin Evans, the Institute's rockstar chemist, is when she steals a box of beakers from his lab after he mistakes her for a secretary. Calvin eventually tracks her down and the two of them fall in love over discussions about chemistry, although Elizabeth steadfastly refuses to get married.What follows is the story of how Elizabeth went from that in the 1950s to being a single mother starring in a wildly popular cooking show by 1961.
I read this for a book club. I'd previously seen it pretty much everywhere but hadn't been particularly interested in it. The preview I saw for the TV adaptation was, I think, what clued me in on the cooking and historical aspects. That, combined with the cover art, had me thinking that this would be a light historical romantic comedy featuring a combination of chemistry and cooking. Instead, it's really more historical women's fiction, and the cooking show takes half the book to show up.
Because I thought it was a historical romantic comedy, the on-page sexual assault within the first 20 pages came as a nasty shock (a respected professor forced himself on her when she was a PhD student, which ended with her getting kicked out of her doctoral program). I don't know what I was expecting from the Calvin Evans stuff that followed, but a mostly happy relationship in which they lived together and had lots of sex and stimulating academic discussions wasn't it.
The addition of Six-Thirty the dog to the story almost made it more cutesy than I could stand. I like dogs, I technically liked Six-Thirty, but then the author made him super-smart, learning hundreds of words from Elizabeth, and wrote sections from his POV. Between him and Elizabeth's equally super-smart daughter, it was a bit much. (FYI, for those needing this animal-related spoiler:
When the cooking show aspects finally showed up, I enjoyed the overall energy of it but couldn't bring myself to believe in any of it. Supposedly this cooking show somehow became so popular that women were glued to it and taking notes on whatever Elizabeth said. I might have believed it if Elizabeth had been explaining, in layman's terms, how to understand the chemistry behind cooking and use it to improve meals, but what was described sounded more like college lectures. I understand that part of her appeal was supposed to be that she respected her audience's intelligence and refused to dumb anything down or depict herself as the vapid sexy housewife the show's producer expected her to be, but the average woman's kitchen isn't set up like a laboratory and you'll have more luck looking for "salt" on grocery store shelves than "sodium chloride."
While I appreciated where this book ended up, I don't know that I'd have finished it if it hadn't been for my upcoming book club meeting. I just wasn't in the mood.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
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LibraryThing member azmtns
I guess I'm in the minority for this book :( It was ok .. It seemed like a modern day feminist rant on 1960s "housewives" with the main character as a chemist and mom - there seemed to be items that didn't match the times...but there was a witty dog
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
In the ‘50s & ‘60s, it was still assumed the only acceptable job for a woman was housewife. They certainly weren’t expected to become scientists. But Elizabeth Zott was not one to do the expected thing - she was a chemist and a pretty damn good one. Unfortunately, faced with misogyny both at
However, if that’s her only option, then, despite her male bosses, she will do it her way. After all cooking is chemistry and she is a chemist so she will use chemistry to teach cooking. Pretty much everyone involved thinks the average woman won't understand or accept this and the show won’t last. But Elizabeth is convinced women are much more than just average housewives. Now she just has to convince all the naysayers.
Lessons in Chemistry by debut author Bonnie Garmus isn’t my usual read but I decided to give it a try based mainly on the cover and description but I’m so glad I did. I enjoyed most of the characters including Zott’s very intelligent dog, Six Thirty. I loved the underlying humour that runs through it as well as the pacing and storyline. I also liked that it depicted the era in all its misogynist realities but also, warning, means some disturbing scenes which may be triggering to some readers.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry and recommend it highly. This is an amazing debut and I look forward to seeing what Garmus gives us in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
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university and at her lab job after *gasp* she has a child out of wedlock, she finds herself unemployed and unemployable in the sciences. In fact, the only option she has is as host of an afternoon cooking show.However, if that’s her only option, then, despite her male bosses, she will do it her way. After all cooking is chemistry and she is a chemist so she will use chemistry to teach cooking. Pretty much everyone involved thinks the average woman won't understand or accept this and the show won’t last. But Elizabeth is convinced women are much more than just average housewives. Now she just has to convince all the naysayers.
Lessons in Chemistry by debut author Bonnie Garmus isn’t my usual read but I decided to give it a try based mainly on the cover and description but I’m so glad I did. I enjoyed most of the characters including Zott’s very intelligent dog, Six Thirty. I loved the underlying humour that runs through it as well as the pacing and storyline. I also liked that it depicted the era in all its misogynist realities but also, warning, means some disturbing scenes which may be triggering to some readers.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry and recommend it highly. This is an amazing debut and I look forward to seeing what Garmus gives us in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus, author; Miranda Raison, Pandora Sykes, narrators
Elizabeth Zott, with all of her uniqueness and quirkiness, is a brilliant scientist above all. However, it is the middle of the 20th century, and in the 1950’s, women were encouraged to be nurses, secretaries or
She worked in a lab and did intensive and brilliant research. Although she was defiant, she was still treated as a lab technician or worse. Her career and education were stymied by the behavior of what can only be considered toxic males, males who believed it was their right to be sexually aggressive, and then if reported, to claim they were enticed, used by the female who thought she could basically “sleep her way to the top”. Of course, this was untrue, but men were in charge, so women were easily blamed and shamed. Elizabeth insisted on being independent. She took charge of her own life and made the best of her unhappy situation. She worked hard, but often her efforts and successes were claimed by the men with whom she worked, men who betrayed her by stealing her thunder. They always had the superior position, so she was helpless and unable to fight back.
When Elizabeth and Calvin Evans met, both of their lives changed. He was also a scientist, and he accepted her as a scientist, not just as a woman. He believed in her, recognized her intelligence and her ability, and showed her the respect most men did not. He also respected her ideas and scientific theories, unlike the other men she had known who had mocked her, arrogantly believing they were more intelligent and capable, although her knowledge and her skill was often head and shoulders above theirs. Calvin’s personality had been shaped by the sadness and tragedies of his early life. He was adopted shortly after his birth, only to suffer the tragic loss of those parents in an unfortunate accident. Placed in an orphanage, he grew up experiencing the abuse of men who preyed upon those who were weaker. He was often a troublemaker, but he was always brilliant.
Elizabeth was also shaped by her experiences with hardship. Sad because of the death of her brother, estranged from her dysfunctional mother and criminal father, she was adrift in a world that did not appreciate her true worth. She angered people by expecting them to treat her as the scholar that she was, because she did not believe her gender defined her. She refused to accept the authority of men. She learned to protect herself from their advances. Both she and Calvin were mocked by those who were less intelligent because neither of them conformed to the mores of their peers, peers who often had no moral compass of their own.
Calvin was able to achieve fame, if not fortune, because of the many awards he won, and because he was a man. Elizabeth would not even have been considered for an award; a male co-worker’s name would unfairly get the credit for her effort. Calvin accepted her feelings about marriage, understanding that she did not want to be beholden to a man for her security. When they decided to set up a household together, much to the chagrin of those around them because they did not marry, as custom demanded, their coworkers talked about them. She was accused of using Calvin, who had garnered acclaim and fame, to advance her own career. They refused to give her the credit due her. Because Calvin and Elizabeth were truly in love, they weathered the whispers of those that laughed at them behind their backs, those who were jealous of their joy and success. More of the shameful comments were directed toward Elizabeth, because she was, after all, a woman who was still struggling to live in a man’s world.
Calvin and Elizabeth had a dog named 6:30 who rounded out their world. Even the dog was exceptional and unusual. They were incredibly happy until Calvin’s sudden death. At the time, Elizabeth didn’t know it, but her life would soon unalterably change. She had no idea that she was carrying their child in her womb, a child that would come into the world under unusual circumstances, with an unusual name; the child would be called Mad. Elizabeth had no idea how to raise another human being. She treated the infant as if she was her equal, teaching her about life through her lens of science. There was no baby talk for Mad. Because Elizabeth ignored the limits of infancy, so did Mad. She flourished, and by the age of three, she was able to read and converse with adults, asking intelligent questions when she did not understand their meaning. Elizabeth, however, was exhausted, and a neighbor, Harriet, fortuitously appeared in her life to make it proceed more smoothly. She and Mad got along famously.
When Mad was four, Elizabeth stretched the rules, and enrolled her in school. She was determined to engage her with children close to her age to give her a better childhood than she had experienced. Mad was more mature and more advanced than most of the children, though she was younger. She and her teacher did not see eye to eye. When Mad had an issue with another child, Amanda, Elizabeth became acquainted with Amanda’s father, Walter. They discovered that they had something in common. They were both often called in to a conference with the incompetent teacher. Walter had recognized Elizabeth’s natural ability to commune with people. She mesmerized him with her calmness and her explanations. He offered her a job doing a cooking show on television, but she was reluctant to accept. She would only do it if she could use science in the kitchen. She was not a cook; she was a scientist. Her kitchen at home had been transformed into a lab and she wanted to do the show in that same environment. She knew about all the ingredients that went into her recipes and what part of the body those ingredients benefited. She decided that because she needed the money, she would try it. However, her behavior during the live programs soon threatened to give Walter ulcers and to have both of them fired. She did not follow Walter’s rules. The man who was their boss was nothing less than an ogre, as were most of the men who had been in Elizabeth’s life. Some of the men fit the description of the toxic male to a “t”, although sometimes they appeared to be more caricatures than real people, so heinous was their behavior.
Using tongue in cheek humor, excellent character development and a narrative that is clear and easy to understand, Garmus has created a book that transcends age and background. It is a book that is hard to put down. It grabs every reader completely and is so compelling in its message that it will hold you until you turn the last page. As inviting as the beginning is, the ending is that much more satisfying! Justice is done.
This was a book that I didn’t think I was going to enjoy as much as I did because it is, obviously, a feminist tome. I knew it was going to present many progressive themes as so many authors choose to do today. I knew that I might not completely agree with the politics in the book and was conflicted about reading it, but rave reviews kept pouring in, so I decided to read it, and I am glad. Growing up a couple of decades later than Elizabeth, as a fraternal twin, I understood the premise of the book. I was subjected to the unfair and unequal treatment of males vs. females, in both the working world and the family world. My brother was afforded more freedom, more money, and more choices in life than I was because he was a boy and I was a girl. Parents looked away from the sins of their sons, since “boys would be boys”! There were “nice girls and good girls” and we knew exactly the kind of girl we were expected to be.
I have to admit that I loved the book. Elizabeth’s personality fascinated me. She drew people to her even as she turned them away, which is a contradiction in terms. Stubbornly, and with determination of purpose, she changed the world which proves that one person, and one idea, can bring change. As John F. Kennedy said, “one person can make a difference, and everyone should try”.
I did find some contradictions in the philosophy of this book, since today, the woke belief in the fluidity of gender is often becoming the antithesis of equality for women. Men who believe they are women can compete with women, though biologically they are definitely stronger than women because of their build and hormones, even with the drugs they take to enhance the sex they choose. Are the women who are demanding that all things be accepted, all genders, all sexual proclivities, actually hurting themselves, setting their own cause back, and ultimately, negating all of the rights and equality they have worked so hard to achieve? In demanding justice and equality, are they somehow laboring under the false idea that men and women are actually equal in all things? Does that not contradict science?
Elizabeth Zott, with all of her uniqueness and quirkiness, is a brilliant scientist above all. However, it is the middle of the 20th century, and in the 1950’s, women were encouraged to be nurses, secretaries or
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teachers, gofers getting coffee for their male bosses, typing their reports, or wives and mothers, allowing the men in their lives to take credit for their accomplishments and ceding control of their lives to the men who were in charge. They were not encouraged to be scientists, and they were not treated as scientists. It was simply the way it was, but Elizabeth Zott did not appreciate the way she was being ignored, passed over, and mistreated, and she refused to accept it.She worked in a lab and did intensive and brilliant research. Although she was defiant, she was still treated as a lab technician or worse. Her career and education were stymied by the behavior of what can only be considered toxic males, males who believed it was their right to be sexually aggressive, and then if reported, to claim they were enticed, used by the female who thought she could basically “sleep her way to the top”. Of course, this was untrue, but men were in charge, so women were easily blamed and shamed. Elizabeth insisted on being independent. She took charge of her own life and made the best of her unhappy situation. She worked hard, but often her efforts and successes were claimed by the men with whom she worked, men who betrayed her by stealing her thunder. They always had the superior position, so she was helpless and unable to fight back.
When Elizabeth and Calvin Evans met, both of their lives changed. He was also a scientist, and he accepted her as a scientist, not just as a woman. He believed in her, recognized her intelligence and her ability, and showed her the respect most men did not. He also respected her ideas and scientific theories, unlike the other men she had known who had mocked her, arrogantly believing they were more intelligent and capable, although her knowledge and her skill was often head and shoulders above theirs. Calvin’s personality had been shaped by the sadness and tragedies of his early life. He was adopted shortly after his birth, only to suffer the tragic loss of those parents in an unfortunate accident. Placed in an orphanage, he grew up experiencing the abuse of men who preyed upon those who were weaker. He was often a troublemaker, but he was always brilliant.
Elizabeth was also shaped by her experiences with hardship. Sad because of the death of her brother, estranged from her dysfunctional mother and criminal father, she was adrift in a world that did not appreciate her true worth. She angered people by expecting them to treat her as the scholar that she was, because she did not believe her gender defined her. She refused to accept the authority of men. She learned to protect herself from their advances. Both she and Calvin were mocked by those who were less intelligent because neither of them conformed to the mores of their peers, peers who often had no moral compass of their own.
Calvin was able to achieve fame, if not fortune, because of the many awards he won, and because he was a man. Elizabeth would not even have been considered for an award; a male co-worker’s name would unfairly get the credit for her effort. Calvin accepted her feelings about marriage, understanding that she did not want to be beholden to a man for her security. When they decided to set up a household together, much to the chagrin of those around them because they did not marry, as custom demanded, their coworkers talked about them. She was accused of using Calvin, who had garnered acclaim and fame, to advance her own career. They refused to give her the credit due her. Because Calvin and Elizabeth were truly in love, they weathered the whispers of those that laughed at them behind their backs, those who were jealous of their joy and success. More of the shameful comments were directed toward Elizabeth, because she was, after all, a woman who was still struggling to live in a man’s world.
Calvin and Elizabeth had a dog named 6:30 who rounded out their world. Even the dog was exceptional and unusual. They were incredibly happy until Calvin’s sudden death. At the time, Elizabeth didn’t know it, but her life would soon unalterably change. She had no idea that she was carrying their child in her womb, a child that would come into the world under unusual circumstances, with an unusual name; the child would be called Mad. Elizabeth had no idea how to raise another human being. She treated the infant as if she was her equal, teaching her about life through her lens of science. There was no baby talk for Mad. Because Elizabeth ignored the limits of infancy, so did Mad. She flourished, and by the age of three, she was able to read and converse with adults, asking intelligent questions when she did not understand their meaning. Elizabeth, however, was exhausted, and a neighbor, Harriet, fortuitously appeared in her life to make it proceed more smoothly. She and Mad got along famously.
When Mad was four, Elizabeth stretched the rules, and enrolled her in school. She was determined to engage her with children close to her age to give her a better childhood than she had experienced. Mad was more mature and more advanced than most of the children, though she was younger. She and her teacher did not see eye to eye. When Mad had an issue with another child, Amanda, Elizabeth became acquainted with Amanda’s father, Walter. They discovered that they had something in common. They were both often called in to a conference with the incompetent teacher. Walter had recognized Elizabeth’s natural ability to commune with people. She mesmerized him with her calmness and her explanations. He offered her a job doing a cooking show on television, but she was reluctant to accept. She would only do it if she could use science in the kitchen. She was not a cook; she was a scientist. Her kitchen at home had been transformed into a lab and she wanted to do the show in that same environment. She knew about all the ingredients that went into her recipes and what part of the body those ingredients benefited. She decided that because she needed the money, she would try it. However, her behavior during the live programs soon threatened to give Walter ulcers and to have both of them fired. She did not follow Walter’s rules. The man who was their boss was nothing less than an ogre, as were most of the men who had been in Elizabeth’s life. Some of the men fit the description of the toxic male to a “t”, although sometimes they appeared to be more caricatures than real people, so heinous was their behavior.
Using tongue in cheek humor, excellent character development and a narrative that is clear and easy to understand, Garmus has created a book that transcends age and background. It is a book that is hard to put down. It grabs every reader completely and is so compelling in its message that it will hold you until you turn the last page. As inviting as the beginning is, the ending is that much more satisfying! Justice is done.
This was a book that I didn’t think I was going to enjoy as much as I did because it is, obviously, a feminist tome. I knew it was going to present many progressive themes as so many authors choose to do today. I knew that I might not completely agree with the politics in the book and was conflicted about reading it, but rave reviews kept pouring in, so I decided to read it, and I am glad. Growing up a couple of decades later than Elizabeth, as a fraternal twin, I understood the premise of the book. I was subjected to the unfair and unequal treatment of males vs. females, in both the working world and the family world. My brother was afforded more freedom, more money, and more choices in life than I was because he was a boy and I was a girl. Parents looked away from the sins of their sons, since “boys would be boys”! There were “nice girls and good girls” and we knew exactly the kind of girl we were expected to be.
I have to admit that I loved the book. Elizabeth’s personality fascinated me. She drew people to her even as she turned them away, which is a contradiction in terms. Stubbornly, and with determination of purpose, she changed the world which proves that one person, and one idea, can bring change. As John F. Kennedy said, “one person can make a difference, and everyone should try”.
I did find some contradictions in the philosophy of this book, since today, the woke belief in the fluidity of gender is often becoming the antithesis of equality for women. Men who believe they are women can compete with women, though biologically they are definitely stronger than women because of their build and hormones, even with the drugs they take to enhance the sex they choose. Are the women who are demanding that all things be accepted, all genders, all sexual proclivities, actually hurting themselves, setting their own cause back, and ultimately, negating all of the rights and equality they have worked so hard to achieve? In demanding justice and equality, are they somehow laboring under the false idea that men and women are actually equal in all things? Does that not contradict science?
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LibraryThing member janismack
What a great book, so fun and empowering. Elizabeth Zott, the heroin of this story is ahead of her time. The ultimate independant woman, falls in love with another chemist and has a baby out of wedlock. This was very ill received in the 50’s but Elizabeth is honest and straightforward and always
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tells the truth. Recommended . Show Less
LibraryThing member grandpahobo
Both very funny and poignant.
LibraryThing member msf59
Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist. If she would have been an adult woman in to 1980s-2000s she would would have been considered top in her field and widely recognized but this was the 50s and 60s and being female did not open many doors. By fortunate circumstances she is able to bring her
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mastery of chemistry to the art of cooking and stars in a hit cooking show. This novel was a lot of fun and I am glad I got to it. Show Less
LibraryThing member maryreinert
Not my cup of tea. Some readers find it hilarious, I found it trite and silly. Set in the 50's (60's) Elizabeth is a beautiful young woman who is intent on being taken seriously as a chemist. She is extremely unlikeable -- 99% of the men are stupid and inept. She does have a relationship with
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Calvin Evans, a famous chemist, who dies in a stupid accident leaving her pregnant. She has a daughter, Mad (Madeline) who she raises along with the help of 6:30 the dog who knows words. I realize the point was to demonstrate how prejudiced and backward the world was in the 50's but really - just too over the top. And the constant bashing of any kind of religion is grating. Read for a book club read - And really, why does she have to be beautiful? Show Less
LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
I absolutely loved this book! You don't want to miss this one!
LibraryThing member Briars_Reviews
I really wanted to like this book - female scientist lead? Like, it's perfect in theory! But sadly, this book just was not for me. It was hard to read and I had to keep putting it down and trying to come back to it. It just didn't work.
Feminism in the 1950s was not the same as it is now, but it's
Overall, not my cup of tea.
One out of five stars. I suffered through, but didn't DNF. Shockingly.
Feminism in the 1950s was not the same as it is now, but it's
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clearly written in a tone that is being judgemental from the 2020s. And the lead... she has all of the insight of the 2020s to reflect on, somehow in the 1950s....? The realism of the book, when this book is somehow supposed to be a contemporary/real novel just isn't there. I did enjoy the dog's personality and insight into his thoughts (it's honestly the highlight of this book), buat the rest just doesn't hit right. I was bored and I felt it just didn't fit with the narrative.Overall, not my cup of tea.
One out of five stars. I suffered through, but didn't DNF. Shockingly.
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LibraryThing member smorton11
I absolutely LOVED this book! It fits squarely into my new favorite sub-genre (uplifting mid-century feminist historical fiction) and I read the entire book in one sitting. Elizabeth is a dynamic heroine and one cannot help but adore her dog, Six-Thirty, daughter Mad, and all the other wonderful
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characters that they meet over the course of the book. There are intergenerational friendships, integral female friendships, and a very charming minister who may or may not actually believe in God. Overall, an incredible gem of a book! Show Less
LibraryThing member breic
Fun and funny.
> “We’ll just keep this between ourselves. She’s legally Mad, but we’ll call her Madeline and no one will be the wiser.” Legally Mad, Six-Thirty thought. What could possibly go wrong?
> As any non-rower can tell you, rowers are not fun. This is because rowers only ever want
> “We’ll just keep this between ourselves. She’s legally Mad, but we’ll call her Madeline and no one will be the wiser.” Legally Mad, Six-Thirty thought. What could possibly go wrong?
> As any non-rower can tell you, rowers are not fun. This is because rowers only ever want
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant scientist, but as a woman in the mid 20th century she struggles to be taken seriously. Denied the opportunity for a PhD after stabbing her professor with a pencil, she takes a job as a research assistant at the Hastings Research Institute. Refusing to fetch coffee for
“When it came to equality, 1952 was a real disappointment.”
Shifting between past and present, Lessons in Chemistry is a lively and thought-provoking story of ambition, love, motherhood, and science, featuring a heroine with an empowering message for women, still relevant today.
“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.”
It’s clear, though never confirmed, that Elizabeth is on the autism spectrum, candid and artless, she’s frustrated by the social conventions that attempt to constrain her both personally and professionally. I found it easy to empathise with her, given the struggle for equality in both spheres lingers, and cheered her refusal to capitulate to expectations.
““Cooking is chemistry….And chemistry is life. Your ability to change everything—including yourself—starts here.”
Though repeatedly thwarted in her career ambitions, largely by men determined to either subjugate or exploit her, Elizabeth will not be denied. Accepting the role as a hostess of an afternoon television cooking show is a rare compromise for the sake of practically, but Elizabeth doesn’t have it in her to adhere to convention, much to the dismay and ire of her immediate boss, and his boss. That her unusual approach strikes a chord with her audience of housewives surprises everyone, except Elizabeth.
“Imagine if all men took women seriously.”
Though Garmus explores a range of serious issues that disproportionately affect women such as workplace harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, and gender discrimination, her wry humour offsets many of the story’s painful moments. It helps too, that few of the men who treat Elizabeth badly remain unpunished.
“Family is far more than biology.”
I loved the found family Elizabeth attracts. Her relationship with Calvin is a charming surprise, a true connection of soulmates. Elizabeth’s daughter, Madeline, is a delight, as is the equally precocious family dog, Six-Thirty. I quickly warmed to Elizabeth’s across-the-way neighbour, Harriet, her obstetrician and fellow rower, Dr Mason, her stressed out show boss, Walter Pine, and even the disillusioned Reverend Wakely.
“Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself.”
Lessons in Chemistry is witty, provocative, poignant and uplifting story of a woman who refuses to be anything other than who she is.
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her colleagues, or flirt with her boss, Elizabeth finds her career stalled, until an unexpected meeting with the institute’s wonder boy, Calvin Evans.“When it came to equality, 1952 was a real disappointment.”
Shifting between past and present, Lessons in Chemistry is a lively and thought-provoking story of ambition, love, motherhood, and science, featuring a heroine with an empowering message for women, still relevant today.
“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.”
It’s clear, though never confirmed, that Elizabeth is on the autism spectrum, candid and artless, she’s frustrated by the social conventions that attempt to constrain her both personally and professionally. I found it easy to empathise with her, given the struggle for equality in both spheres lingers, and cheered her refusal to capitulate to expectations.
““Cooking is chemistry….And chemistry is life. Your ability to change everything—including yourself—starts here.”
Though repeatedly thwarted in her career ambitions, largely by men determined to either subjugate or exploit her, Elizabeth will not be denied. Accepting the role as a hostess of an afternoon television cooking show is a rare compromise for the sake of practically, but Elizabeth doesn’t have it in her to adhere to convention, much to the dismay and ire of her immediate boss, and his boss. That her unusual approach strikes a chord with her audience of housewives surprises everyone, except Elizabeth.
“Imagine if all men took women seriously.”
Though Garmus explores a range of serious issues that disproportionately affect women such as workplace harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, and gender discrimination, her wry humour offsets many of the story’s painful moments. It helps too, that few of the men who treat Elizabeth badly remain unpunished.
“Family is far more than biology.”
I loved the found family Elizabeth attracts. Her relationship with Calvin is a charming surprise, a true connection of soulmates. Elizabeth’s daughter, Madeline, is a delight, as is the equally precocious family dog, Six-Thirty. I quickly warmed to Elizabeth’s across-the-way neighbour, Harriet, her obstetrician and fellow rower, Dr Mason, her stressed out show boss, Walter Pine, and even the disillusioned Reverend Wakely.
“Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself.”
Lessons in Chemistry is witty, provocative, poignant and uplifting story of a woman who refuses to be anything other than who she is.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
Garmus has a doozy in her debut novel about a pretty woman who is a chemist, but who in the 1960’s can see a woman any place but in the home baking for her husband? Meet Elizabeth Zott, a woman who lost her chance at a PhD in Chemistry because she refused to let a professor have sex with her. She
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manages to get a low-level job in a research company, but the head of the chemistry department plans to keep her in her place, getting coffee and running errands rather than doing the important research she wants to do. Falling in love with a fellow chemist, she refuses to marry him and wants to be burdened with no children. She’s happy living with him, keeping her own name, but right after her partner’s death she discovers she’s pregnant. She’s fired from her job because she’s unmarried and pregnant. She struggles to make ends meet and when her baby girl is born, its only because of the kindness of a neighbor who helps her deal with single parenthood that she copes. As Madeline grows older and displays the same determination and intelligence as her mother, both irk the classroom teacher who sees no place for women in the work force. She’s forced to take a job hosting a half-hour cooking show on a local television station. Despite the efforts of the programing boss, the program succeeds beyond expectation, leading to syndication. Elizabeth isn’t happy, though, and yearns to return to research. There’s humor anger and lot to say about women in the story. If you are a fan of Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple), you’ll enjoy this book. The characters in Lessons in Chemistry are perfect material for a movie. Show Less
LibraryThing member Desiree_Reads
Disappointingly, I can't tell you how much I read. I apparently switched books in the wee hours of the morning without documenting or commenting.
Lots of feisty feminism here, but surprisingly I didn't mind that - based on the timeframe - and the character was just well written, so you thought
Lots of feisty feminism here, but surprisingly I didn't mind that - based on the timeframe - and the character was just well written, so you thought
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"that's her". Bailed out Show Less
LibraryThing member celerydog
Elizabeth Zott, Mad, Harriet and 6.30 make a great team , overcoming plagiarism, misogyny and single parenthood in the 1960's. 6.30, the dog, narrates, which is always a winner. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member alanna1122
I think I would have given this a 3.88 if i could have. Ha. I am very split on it. I felt like more than half the time I was really happy to pick it up and visit with these characters. The rest of the time they were doing things that really irritated me or the dialog pulled me out of the story.
One thing that really drove me crazy was the premise that the crochety Bishop would choose to keep Evans in the Orphanage rather than give him back to his family. That level of cruelty compounded with the fact that he would arguably be punishing himself was just so hard to accept.
I don't know a lot about crew - but it really seemed like kind of a weird presentation of the sport.
I found the one spot of magical realism with the dog very strange. I'd completely forget about it and then it'd come back again. Seemed really random to me.
I did love the character of Mad though. She was relliably funny and I thought her character was really well developed.
Anyway, I liked it enough but wasn't a favorite.
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Honestly, I can understand why some people super love this - for me it was just really uneven.I don't know a lot about crew - but it really seemed like kind of a weird presentation of the sport.
I found the one spot of magical realism with the dog very strange. I'd completely forget about it and then it'd come back again. Seemed really random to me.
I did love the character of Mad though. She was relliably funny and I thought her character was really well developed.
Anyway, I liked it enough but wasn't a favorite.
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Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2023)
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2023)
Australian Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — 2023)
Books Are My Bag Readers Award (Winner — Readers' Choice — 2023)
Waterstones Book of the Year (Shortlist — 2022)
Comedy Women In Print (Runner-Up — 2022)
HWA Crown Awards (Longlist — Debut — 2023)
Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize (Shortlist — Shortlist — 2022)
NPR: Books We Love (2022)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction/Poetry — 2022)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Debut Fiction — 2022)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2022)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — April 2022)