Lessons in Chemistry Book Review: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus

Welcome back reader friends! In today’s post I’m going to be sharing my full Lessons in Chemistry book review.

I participated in a book swap last year with some friends and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is one of the books I received! But I didn’t start it right away. I wasn’t sure if a book about a female chemist was going to be something I was interested in. So I put it off for quite a few months. But recently I decided that it was time to give it a shot, and I was so pleasantly surprised.

While Lessons in Chemistry focuses on the live of chemist Elizabeth Zott in the early 1960s, it’s so much more than a story about science. Don’t get me wrong. Her career in chemistry is obviously a major part of the story. But other topics discussed are female empowerment in the home and the workplace, women’s rights, coping with the loss of a loved one and dealing with grief.

So let’s get started with the book discussion! And if you enjoyed today’s review, you can get more book recommendations here.

What is Lessons in Chemistry about?

When we first meet Elizabeth Zott, she may seem like an average woman in 1960s California. She’s a working single mother fighting for lunchtime justice for her daughter Madeleine.

But then the story goes back to the beginning. Elizabeth is a graduate student and has an unfortunate dismissal from her doctoral program, and winds up working as a chemist at Hastings Research Institute. There she meet Calvin Evans and while the two have a rocky introduction, they soon find that they have true chemistry together.

People are judgmental of their relationship. Living together as an unmarried couple? It’s not common or widely accepted by the public. They face scrutiny from the rest of the scientists at Hastings but they don’t care. Calvin adores Elizabeth as a person, but he’s also her biggest supported when it comes to her scientific work.

But life is unpredictable. It’s just a few years later that Elizabeth’s life is completely different. She’s a single mom with a precocious daughter and an extremely intelligent dog. She’s left Hastings Research Institute to host a cooking show for a local television station. But Elizabeth takes her show just as seroiusly as her work in the lab.

She’s not only teaching women to cook. She’s teaching them about chemistry, and she’s teaching them to change the status quo and realize the important of their own work.

Who is Bonnie Garmus?

According to her profile on Goodreads, Bonnie Garmus seems very similar to Elizabeth Zott! And I love that. It’s a well known fact that people write the best stories when they’re writing what they know! 

Her profile states that she is a creative director who has worked in fields of technology, medicine, and education. Her hobbies include spending time with her dog, as well as open water swimming and rowing.

Sounds like Elizabeth, right? Lessons in Chemistry is her first novel and was very well received. Barnes and Noble named is Book of the Year in 2022, and was on the New York Times Bestseller list.

What is the point of Lessons in Chemistry?

I believe that the point of Lessons in Chemistry is to tell the story of a determined woman who sticks up for herself, and inspires others to do the same. When Elizabeth quits her job at Hasting Research Institute and is hired by Walter Pine to be the host of Supper at Six, things don’t exactly go smoothly at first.

Elizabeth is not the kind of person to do things a certain way just because a man tells her too. She doesn’t want to wear tight dresses. She doesn’t want to influence her audience to buy canned soup (which is filled with chemicals and preservatives).

Is Lessons in Chemistry based on true story?

No, Lessons in Chemistry is a work of fiction. But Bonnie Garmus took inspiration from her own life experiences and career to help craft this story.

Is Lessons in Chemistry worth reading?

Absolutely! Although anyone can read and enjoy this book, I think that women will find it particularly inspiring. I personally was very inspired by Bonnie Garmus’s debut novel because of how complex this story is. It’s a love story, but it’s also a coming of age story about a brilliant scientist who defies all odds and makes a name for herself in more ways than one.

What are the trigger warnings in Lessons in Chemistry?

Because of the way that women were treated in the 1950s and early 1960s, Elizabeth is treated terribly by some of the men in this story. There are scenes describing sexual assault. A side character also experiences physical abuse at the hands of her husband.

But What if I Want More of Lessons in Chemistry?

Well, you’re in luck. In 2023 a Lessons in Chemistry TV show was released. It stars dazzling cast of Brie Larson as brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott and Aja Naomi King as Harriet Sloane, Elizabeth’s neighbor and biggest supported. There are some other big names as other supporting characters. While it may have a few differences here and there, it mostly sticks to the plot of the book.

Where do I Watch Lessons in Chemistry?

The Lessons in Chemistry TV show is available to stream through Apple TV+.

My Favorite Parts

While Lessons in Chemistry is the story of a woman chemist (or just chemist, as Elizabeth would be quick to correct), the quirky characters were all fun to read about.

There’s Harriet, Elizabeth’s neighbor who helps her take care of Mad. And then there’s Walter Pine, Elizabeth’s boss at the television station. And my absolute favorite was Six Thirty the dog. He was depicted as not just a dog, but a character with thoughts, feelings, and emotions. He provided comic relief in many moments during this story.

I loved how although Elizabeth was the host of a cooking show, she used her platform to teach women about science. Whether she was talking about acetic acid or a “pinch of sodium chloride”, it was so interesting how the viewers were glued to Elizabeth’s every word. Even the studio audience would bring notebooks and pens with them so that they could take notes during the show.

In Conclusion

I may have been hesitant to start this book at first, but I’m so glad I did!

By the end of the book I felt like Elizabeth, Harriet, Mad, and Six Thirty were my friends. Elizabeth as a character is an extraordinary woman. As a young chemist, she defies gender and social norms. While male characters always seem to do her dirty, she doesn’t let it ruin her entire life. Instead she keeps her head held high and focuses on her work.

As an unwed mother, she faces a lot of discrimination but again, she doesn’t let it bother her. She stands up to Mad’s judgmental kindergarten teacher and points out that she really needs to keep an open mind.

I loved this book so much. Sometimes when I am done reading books I donate them to the little free library down the street from my boyfriend’s house. But no. I will be keeping this one because I know it is a story that I will want to enjoy again in the future. This is the best book to read if you’re looking for an uplifting historical fiction time period story.

xo Marian

But wait, there’s more!

If you enjoyed today’s Lessons in Chemistry book review, you can find more book recommendations here.