My Review:

So many people have raved about Lessons in Chemistry so I decided to pick up a copy to see what all the hype was about.

Elizabeth Zott is an intelligent and determined chemist who is faced with sexism and discrimination in the workplace, typical of the 1950s and 60s. She wants to be taken seriously, doing important scientific research, but in order to pay her bills she accepts a job as a talk show host for a cooking show. She uses her scientific background to explain her kitchen escapades to the audience, all the while encouraging the women watching to succeed in achieving their goals.

Raising her daughter, Madeline as a single mom, with little parenting direction and some help from the neighbor, while keeping track of how many words her dog, Six-Thirty understands, Elizabeth, the quirky feminist is a charming and enjoyable character. There is humor in the writing yet the meat of the story, with sexism, single parenting, rape and death all addressed within the book, was bit darker than what I expected.

Actress Brie Larson will be starring in the Apple TV adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry and I suspect it will translate very well to the screen and look forward to watching!

About the Author:

Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who’s worked widely in the fields of technology, medicine, and education. She’s an open-water swimmer, a rower, and mother to two pretty amazing daughters. Born in California and most recently from Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99.