Why did I love this book?
My first career was in a very male-dominated profession (I now write children’s books!) So I cheered for chemist Elizabeth Zott from the first page, as she encountered sexism in the scientific and business worlds of the early 1960s.
Garmus is a great storyteller, and some scenes had me laughing and crying at the same time! With intelligence, wit, and perseverance, Elizabeth faces and conquers many obstacles. Her brilliant, eccentric colleague Calvin Evans treats her as an equal, and their romantic relationship is central to the complex but well-crafted plot.
As I
closed the book on this wonderful story, I put my hand to my heart and was
sad, but only because there were no more pages to turn.
73 authors picked Lessons in Chemistry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads
"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…