Lessons in Chemistry

It took me back to my childhood (1950s) and made me remember why in the early 1970s I became a card carrying Feminist because the world was just stacked against women, even smart, funny and talented ones.

This book presents a quirky feminist character battling gender norms and falling in love in the 1950s. The main character is her own woman in a time when women had very little autonomy. Her practical, equitable approach to romantic and work relationships is well beyond her time (and ours). I loved watching her fight for a life of her own in a world that hadn't yet conceived of the idea of gender equity.

The author has a way of dealing with difficult subjects in a way that is light. (But just be warned: There are some really, really difficult subjects… show more.

I loved this book for its beautifully drawn characters, the emotions it evoked and its wit and its intelligence. Highly recommended.

A rollicking tale about science, discrimination, discovery and beauty. Bonnie Garmus's quirky style and powerful narrative made it a joy to read.

I love this novel for its hilarious, unique take on the rage-against-the-patriarchy trope. Elizabeth Zott, the novel’s lead, is a refreshing portrayal of a woman battling the world of mansplaining while doing it in the most stereotypically “female” way—cooking up a storm! As a chemist, her scientific breakdowns of how ingredients chemically react with one another make for many humourous moments on the page. 

This is a book that will have you hooting with laughter and rooting alongside the protagonist till the very end. It mirrored the frustrations I have often felt as a working woman and left me vindicated… show more.

My friend Kate bought this book at the airport for her trip to Edmonton and handed it on to me when she was done. I devoured it the day after she headed home.

That a scientist had to resort to becoming a television cooking instructor to make a living in the early 1960s should hurt everyone’s heart a little. That she can affect change in so many incremental ways on everyone she connects to is glorious. I was smitten with the Asperger-ry couple and delighted with the overlay of feminist themes onto a time frame that my mother had to… show more.

This book is absolutely worth the hype. The main character, Elizabeth Zott, won my heart by the way she endures the trials of 1960s American sexism, never gives up, and never betrays her moral compass. A triumphant story—I could not put this book down, which was a problem because I was under a big deadline at the time. (Don’t tell my manager.)

I was instantly hooked. This book is pure delight. We follow the twists and turns of Elizabeth Zott’s life in the fifties to the seventies in the USA.

It unfolds against a background of misogyny and female stereotyping. Talented scientist Elizabeth is disregarded by male colleagues. There are plenty of real-life examples of discrimination against women in science, e.g., Rosalind Franklin and Joselyn Bell Burnell. Cookery is indeed chemistry. When Elizabeth presents a cookery show that treats cookery as chemistry, she connects to an eager audience.

How we cook with love matters, and the chemistry of relationships is strong in… show more.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. OMG, I loved, loved, loved the audio. Though in a hurry to get home, at crucial moments, I found myself driving around the block a number of times, my need for the end of the chapter far exceeding the worry of wasting gas. 

But oh, fascinating Elizabeth Zot is so worth it! 

An outwardly tough cookie who earned her way through the school of hard knocks to start a women’s movement, simply be taken seriously as a scientist in a man’s world. I was rooting for her every step of the… show more.

I loved this book; I think because my mother is in the generation of women this book is about. Like the main character, my mother was smart and multitalented, with a lot to offer. But she came of age, got married, and had kids before women’s lib, and her life choices were greatly circumscribed. When she was dissatisfied with her life, the doctors prescribed valium.

I hope with this intro I’m not making the book sound depressing because it definitely is not. It’s a lot of fun. The main character faces all of these same obstacles but heroically overcomes them.… show more.