Lessons in Chemistry

At the center of Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons of Chemistry is, undoubtedly, the mish-mashed mess of sexism and misogyny that hammers Elizabeth Zott’s life into the ground, and how she storms forward with god-like determination and confidence. But revolving around that center are greater lessons to be learned–when we devalue women’s work in the home, when we devalue women’s work in childcare, and when we devalue women’s contributions in the workplace, everybody suffers.

In the 1960s, women are not supposed to be chemists, so when science-driven Zott inadvertently finds herself the star of the nation’s most popular cooking show, although she is not living her dream, she nonetheless demands the respect for every housewife watching the show. Once the reader gets to know her, it’s less that Zott is defying expectations, and it’s more just that she’s being herself, and how different would the world be if all women could genuinely be themselves, intellectually, creatively, emotionally?

The relationships are unique and earnest, the side characters are fascinating, and all the while the book asks: how much kindness and dignity do we owe each other?