I just love Elizabeth Zott! An amazing portrayal of of a determined woman. I’d love to read a follow on book.

This was a very unusual and interesting story about a rather unconventional woman in the 1960’s.

I was rather envious of Elizabeth Zott in some aspects of her life, but some of the circumstances she finds herself in were rather sad.

It felt authentic in it’s recounting of what was expected of women during the era it was set.

I enjoyed reading this book, very entertaining and interesting.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

In these enlightened times it's hard to imagine a time when it was thought that women couldn't be scientists or anything else they wanted to be.
It's the 1950s and Elizabeth Zott is a female chemist working at Hastings Research. She encounters all sorts of discrimination particularly from her boss. It is also the place where she meets the love of her life, Calvin Evans.
They are soulmates but she refuses to get married as that would mean conforming and that's something that she has never done. Following an accident her life changes dramatically in more ways that one. In the years that follow she finally gets friends, has an alternative career and becomes a household name.
This is a lovely read and I found myself egging Elizabeth on when her character was losing faith.

Great story about a single mother in the 60's who totally went against the norm in society, work and life in general. It had a lovely message to it and I would be keen to read more from the author. I enjoyed reading of a lead female character who did believe in herself all along she was just constrained by what others thought.

Thank you to NetGalley & publisher for the advanced copy in return for a honest review.

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist. She's also the star of the hit TV show Supper at Six, a show that teaches women to cook using a somewhat unusual approach. In 1960s America a lot of people don't approve of Elizabeth's lifestyle or beliefs, and her attitude to life ruffles many feathers. She is also proving to be a role model for women across the country though, and against all odds is giving her viewers the power to change their lives.

Yikes! Just before I started reading this I saw an awesome review on a blog I follow (tessatalksbooks.blog), but have to say that even having read that I was unprepared for quite how much I would love this. I think this will be one that stays with me.

There is so much to unpack in this one. On the surface the story is about Elizabeth and her struggle to fit in, her family life with her partner Calvin, her daughter Mad, and their dog Six Thirty. At it's heart though it is so much more than that. It's a reminder for us all of what women have faced historically and their struggles to get us where we are today.

You'll see a lot of reviews talk about this book being funny, and it is in a lot of places. It is very confronting in places too. Hearing about not just the discrimination Elizabeth faces but the abuse is definitely something that makes you stop and think. Knowing that experiences like hers were so commonplace is galling. I know there are still many women who are facing those same issues today, and I sincerley hope it is with less frequency. The other thing that struck me in this book is how clearly Bonnie Garmus shows the effect of women knocking each other down rather than helping each other stand tall.

Elizabeth is a fantastic character, and I absolutely loved her. She is described as being unusual, not the average woman, but I think really she is the woman a lot of people wish they could be. Whether you have the same desires from life as her or not, to be able to hold strong in your belief in yourself and not let the pressures of societal expectations drag you down is an exceptional trait. I think Garmus played this perfectly. There is a temptation with characters like this to play them as being incapable of making friends, or as being so different that they are hard to relate to. That's not Elizabeth Zott. She might not have a lot of friends but that isn't because she isn't able to make them, it's because she doesn't want to be friends with someone who will disapprove of her lifestyle or hold her back. She is incredibly relatable as a character, and essentially when you break it down is a woman trying to do the best she can for both herself and her family, despite others trying to hold her back.

There are some wonderful (and also despicable) supporting characters in this book. Harriet is a great character, and I love how she develops and finds herself as the book progresses. I also feel like Six Thirty the dog should get a special mention. I wish my dog could learn over 600 words!!

I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of this one here, but I also feel like I could write an entire essay and not do it justice. I know it's only March but I can guarantee this one will be up there as one of my favourite reads of 2022. For a book that tackles a pretty hefty subject it still stays quite light hearted overall, particulary later on in the book. I think it's a great achievement to be able to write a book that really makes readers think, but without being too heavy and putting you off reading. If you're going to pick up any book that you see on my blog this year, make it this one, you won't regret it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a great original and fun read. While telling the story of Elizabeth Zott in the late 50's ,early 60's, the key issues of female inequality and harassment are raised without being laboured to the detriment of the story. I would have loved her as my chemistry teacher back in the day. It is a reminder of how far women have come and how far we still have to go. The humour throughout had smiling and six thirty the dog was a real hero character. A great read.

Im not sure this was "laugh out loud funny" as described by some reviewers but it was a wry and well written take on women's role in society in the early 60s and Elizabeth Zott was certainly an engaging character. The only thing that really jarred for me was the inclusion of the thoughts of sixthirty which I felt added nothing to the book or the people in it
thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book

Lessons in Chemistry is the story of Elizabeth Zott, a female chemist in the early 60’s. The story is really in two parts, the first part is a mixture of her current timeline but also looks back at the events earlier in her life when she was working as a laboratory assistant and the second where she is a single mother and TV star.
I found the book to be quite uneven in tone. I didn’t really enjoy the earlier part of the novel and found it to be quite disjointed. However, once the story was firmly established in the 60s, it was a much more enjoyable read and I became a lot more invested in the story. Elizabeth is an intriguing character but it took me a while to warm to her. I loved her determination to be a serious chemist despite all the barriers that men and society put in her way. Other characters in the book such as her daughter, Mad, her friend Harriet and even the dog are much more relatable and provide the book with many of its lighter moments.
This was a really interesting story and a good reminder of how bad things used to be for women in the not too distant past.
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House UK for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My new favourite heroine (and dog!). Witty, absorbing and original. This book is a total joy and one of my best reads of the year so far.

This book was a bit of a disappointment for me. The blurb describes it as "laugh out loud" which it definitely is not. In fact I found the story very sad and sometimes depressing.

I found most of the characters a little flat and unlikeable. All except the dog, six thirty. We quite often hear his point of view throughout the story and those are my favourite parts. It may have been nice for the whole story to be told on the voice of the dog.

The book had such promise but didn't quite hit the mark for me. However I appear to be in the minority with my opinion.

Lessons in Chemistry

One of the the most anticipated books of 2022, I’d heard so many good things about Lessons in Chemistry by Bobbie Garmus that I was a little intimidated to start it.

The story follows the original and refreshing Elizabeth Zott, chemist first and woman second, who knows her own mind in 1960s America. A woman with an opinion? Surely not…

We follow Elizabeth from lab assistant to unemployment to fronting Supper At Six, a television cooking show more science than seasoning. Not only is she teaching women how to cook, she’s daring them to challenge the status quo…

Elizabeth is dazzling. She is incredibly smart, eloquent and daring. She is also a woman, and with that comes an automatic assumption that she is inferior, unintelligent and only has value because she is attractive. This is infuriating! I got so angry reading this book at how sexist society used to be only a few decades ago.

Despite the intense anger this book caused, Elizabeth is a shining light. She is fiesty, unapologetic and steadfast in her values. She fights back against the system as best she can, making her one of my stand out heroines of contemporary literature.

Her adamant insistence that she should be treated the same as any male could come across as naïve at that time but I felt she came across as demanding what any woman would demand now as our right.

I did find this book a little hard to get fully engaged in, but I think this may have been a problem with me rather than the book. Reading whilst tired is never the greatest idea!

The last 150 pages just flew by, and I hope there is more Elizabeth Zott in our future.

Lessons in Chemistry, and Elizabeth, taught me so much, it’s hard to believe this is a debut. One of my stand out reads of 2022.

Lessons in Chemistry is a unique story, mixing dark subjects with a humour and lightness.
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist who has met discrimination at many turns of her life. Being an ardent feminist does not help her along her way. As her life takes surprising twists and turns she becomes a TV cook / chemist and can spread her message to the women who need it.
I really enjoyed this tale of such an unlikely heroine. A great cast of characters, including her very special dog, makes for an amusing read despite the hard times they go through.
Thanks to Netgalley for the copy in return for a review.

Oh my. What an original, brilliant and witty story. I haven’t read anything like this before and loved Elizabeth Zott from the very beginning.
This story will make you laugh, cry, feel enraged and encouraged, but most of all it will make you feel.
I loved Elizabeth’s view on life - her strength and beliefs and how she influenced so many living on her own terms.
With brilliant characters and a great storyline, Lessons in Chemistry is one of those reads that will stay with me for a long time and is certainly a contender for book of the year for me.

Trigger warning: rape, sexual abuse, death, suicide.

Lessons in Chemistry was thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the concept, with Elizabeth Zott leading the narrative as a woman in the 1950s wanting to make leaps and bounds in science and the adversity and often unexpected encouragement she experiences along the way. No matter what she experiences, sometimes from her own self belief and in others the belief others have in her, would push her forward in her conviction. Some parts were devastating to read, and yet important to the story, and such moments would propel me forward in wanting to desperately know if it does, in fact, all work out in the end. The book was not predictable and yet it felt as if every woman could definitely relate, at least in some parts, to Elizabeth's experiences (given that this is written in an era which feels almost historic today, I am not sure if this is a depressing revelation of how much, or little, progress we have made today). Again, I would say it is inspiring, the book has a strong message about women in science, not letting race, gender or religion hold you back from achieving your true potential which I found brilliant (there is so much to take away from this one). Issues were dealt with the correct importance and yet there were also spurts of humour which could make you laugh out loud at the most unexpected of times. I have a particular soft spot for Six-Thirty. Loved this and would highly recommend. Thank you @netgalley @RandomHouseUK @TransworldPublishers for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book! Funny, warm-hearted and inspirational, it was a wholly original story of a woman in science, with a brilliant, loveable supporting cast (and one or two villains!). I gobbled the whole thing up in a day. Not since watching Elle Woods break down barriers in Legally Blonde have I cheered on and rooted for a protagonist so much. And in a crowded field of wonderful characters, the dog, SixThirty, steals the show!

This feel-good novel will surely be in my favourite books of the year. I'm just sad that this is a debut, since I'd go back and read everything Bonnie Garmus has written. I'll be looking out for what she does next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of Lessons in Chemistry in exchange for an honest review.

I love a strong female lead character and one who comes good despite all the Ill will being thrown at her is the best kind. This book totally shines a light on the struggles for women to be taken seriously. When change was needed it took strong women to do it.
I loved the spirit of the story, really an inspiring read.

Elizabeth Zott is a woman in a man's world. Working as a chemist at Hastings lab in California, she is not taken seriously as a scientist. On a search for beakers, she meets and falls in love with Calvin Evans, a brilliant scientist with a sad past. Their love develops as they go rowing, adopt a dog, Six-thirty, and work on science. However, their love is doomed, as Calvin dies, Elizabeth gives birth to their daughter and goes on to become a famous TV chef.
A lovely, if not slightly predictable read. Nicely written though and I would recommend it.

Elizabeth Zott has not had it easy, she is a chemist who refuses to conform to society. She is stubborn and determined to continue her research - it is her determination that brings her to meet Calvin, when she enters his lab to "borrow" some beakers.
Their relationship will cause stirs and jealousy amongst their colleagues, not only their relationship but also their research and achievements.
Elizabeth faces everything life throws at her with her head high, when she is fired from her job, she ends up presenting a TV show about cooking (and much more) and empowering the women who tune in to watch her.

This book is cleverly written and Elizabeth, Six Thirty and Mad are a family that will warm your heart and one cant help but root for them. Absolutely brilliant book that talks about how women always have to fight to get taken seriously and the fight to have a voice.

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 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.

The sunny cover matches the heartwarming story found within the pages of this lovely debut novel.

Elizabeth Zott is a talented chemist who meets and falls in love with Calvin Evans, renowned Nobel-nominated scientist and cranky rower. Elizabeth is highly intelligent, charismatic, quirky and tough as nails but with a soft exterior.

When life doesn’t go to plan for the couple, Elizabeth inadvertently ends up hosting a cookery show called Supper At Six on television in the early 1960s and inspires housewives across America to stand up to inequality and resist misogyny and oppression. There is a cast of quirky characters in this book, some villainous and some loveable, but all entertaining.

There are darker themes too though, it’s really not all sweetness and light - they’re handled with the deftest of touches though and don’t bog down the story so it makes for a sweet read.

I loved Elizabeth’s practical nature, atheism, humanism and determination. I was a little bemused by the passages written from the perspective of her dog Six-Thirty but I just rolled with it as it fits in with the vibe of the book. It reminded me a little of Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown, if anyone had read that? It had a similar vintage, offbeat vibe. This would be a great holiday read. A feelgood 4/5 ⭐️

Many thanks to the author, the publisher Random House UK, Transworld, Double Day Books and @netgalley for the opportunity to read a early copy of this book. It’s already available in shops as of this week, I saw it in the window of Dubray Books!