Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus
Narrator: Pandora Sykes, Miranda Raison
Length: 11 hours, 55 minutes
Published by Random House Audio
Publication Date April 5, 2022
Date Read November 15, 2023
Source: Libro.fm
Genres: General Fiction
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

A delight for readers of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this blockbuster debut set in 1960s California features the singular voice of Elizabeth Zott, a scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a beloved TV cooking show.
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.
Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

First Impressions

I was engaged from the start of Lessons in Chemistry. Bonnie Garmus’s writing is smooth and almost intimate, slowly introducing me to the character’s vulnerabilities, particularly Elizabeth Zott’s as she made her way just as good as any man and attempted to undo stereotypes from the 60s.

Impressions While Reading

Bonnie Garmus’ character building may be what originally drew me in but Miranda Raison and Pandora Sykes’ narration enhanced my reading experience and had me listening late into the night. Elizabeth Zott’s Julia Childsesque cooking show didn’t emerge until late into the book and, while I was chopping at the bit to tune in, Elizabeth’s struggles and her realization that it was okay to fall in love and still have career ambition were so empowering. However, the author still showed that because of her gender, she would always be in the shadow of her talented boyfriend, therefore, keeping it more realistic for the reader.

Final Impressions

I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, each character had a unique voice and story to tell. My one complaint is that throughout the book Elizabeth wanted to step beyond the spotlight of her more famous, deceased boyfriend Calvin Evans, and stand on her own two feet. However, he was always hovering over her career, and in the end, he was the key to her success. Considering Elizabeth wanted to be independent and shout girl power this seemed counter-intuitive and diminished her character somewhat. However, overall I loved Lessons in Chemistry, and stayed with me long after the audiobook had finished.

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