Lessons In Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus || Review

 

'Your ability to change everything - including yourself - starts here' ELIZABETH ZOTT 

Set in 1960s California; Lessons In Chemistry is the brilliant, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home - something she most definitely does not believe - only to find herself the star of America's best-loved TV cooking show

 Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing. 

 But it's the 1960s, and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her male peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen on her road to professional fulfilment is a run-in with famous colleague Calvin Evans, legend and Nobel nominee. He's also awkward, kind and tenacious. Theirs is true chemistry. 

 But life is never predictable and three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed, single mother and star of America's best loved cooking show Supper at Six. Her singular approach to cooking - 'take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride' - and empowering message prove revolutionary. Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching housewives how to cook, but how to change their lives. 

 Meet the unconventional, uncompromising Elizabeth Zott

I think i purchased this at Christmas as a spur-of-the-moment purchase because everyone was talking about this and then put it on my shelves and that was until i saw a friend of mine recommended it on Instagram and after a quick exchange i decided this would be my next read. 

I freaking loved this! I felt reading the synopsis it could go one of two ways for me but my gosh it was brilliant. I adored Elizabeth Zott and getting to discover her thoughts/feelings and attitude to life in the 1960s was wonderful. Elizabeth Zott is not like anyone you have ever met.  So when she has a run in with her famous colleague Calvin Evans - shes not bothered he is famous what she really wants is the beakers out of his lab. What she discovers his personality to hers is pure chemistry and there is nothing else that can explain it.  So when life throws the biggest curveball and a mere three years later she finds herself a single mother, no real job and unwed she really does have to find and fight her way. 

Suddenly she is hosting a cooking show, teaching chemistry to all those women stuck at home who dare not dream. I thought this was a brilliant read, it was passionate, it was strong and hooked the reader in in mere pages. Bonnie has created the most unlikely lead in Elizabeth and she is someone you just root for. I loved the writing style and even the chemisty parts were written that everyone would be able to understand the refrences and it made it accessible to all. 

One of my top books for the year so far.

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.