Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, single mother, unwed, a rower, and out of job. It is the United States of 1960s and women in STEM is a largely uncommon phenomenon. She’s different, quirky, odd, straightforward, honest, a feminist, intelligent, fighter, survivor, and a brilliant scientist who is brave enough to fight for her rights and her loved ones against the inequality and abuse thrown towards her.
Lessons in Chemistry written by Bonnie Garmus is about Elizabeth Zott, who is unable to complete her PhD due to an assault after which she was thrown out of University. She joins a reputed research institute but is always fighting to be heard in a predominantly male-oriented workforce. There she meets Calvin Evans, a scientist who not only believes in her talent but also falls in love with her.
Much to the chagrin of their colleagues and society, they move in together without getting married. Elizabeth and Calvin adopt a dog and are happily building a life together when life takes a turn for the worse for Elizabeth. She finds herself alone, mourning Calvin, pregnant and unemployed. As time moves on she gets an opportunity to star in her own cooking show and this starts her new journey as host of Supper at 6 where she not only teaches women to cook but also gives them life lessons through Chemistry. She teaches them to challenge the status quo and subtly changes the outlook of women all around the country.
“For Elizabeth, cooking wasn’t some preordained feminine duty. As she’d told Calvin, cooking was chemistry. That’s because cooking actually is chemistry.”
The writing of Bonnie Garmus is engaging, light and easy to read. The story moves at a fast pace and will keep you hooked till the end. Although one thing should be clearly mentioned that this book is not hilarious. True, there are some funny parts, dialogues that will evoke a chuckle here and there but the book cannot be classified as funny as the blurb wrongly suggests. That said, this is a book worth reading.
“Whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change – and change is what we’re chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others’ opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what YOU will change. And then get started.”
Topics like homophobia, sexual assault, gender disparity at workplace, unwed motherhood are the basic tenets of this novel and it makes for a good read. The struggles of a woman in a male dominated world has been perfectly portrayed. Some readers might find an issue with the depiction of religion because it has been shown as regressive. But I guess Science vs Religion is a topic that should not be started here.
Coming back to the book, I liked the main characters; their growth, change in their outlooks and their quirks are well written and makes for an entertaining book. Most of the men in power have been shown to be misogynists but we must remember that it’s a work of fiction set in the 1960s. The world then was not as it is today. And even now, there are fewer women who take up a career in science and technologies as compared to men.
Also, there is a very smart dog named six-thirty who is being taught by Elizabeth to understand words. His pov makes for an excellent and enjoyable read throughout the book.
I enjoyed reading the book and definitely recommend it.
My rating: 4/5
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