This Review contains spoilers*
Dear Readers, I hope the weather is pleasant on your end. The heat meter has just risen in this part of the world, and we are getting ready to bear the extreme weather in the coming months. Today’s book, “Lessons in Chemistry,” is one of the best reads of this year and will be in my top 10 forever-recommendation list.
Why did I pick this one?
After reading romance genre for almost a year, I wanted a change of genre. Someone recommended this one and added it to the cart, however didn’t buy it instantly. One fine day it arrived at my doorstep, and to my surprise, the man of the house placed the order for this one too, along with the rest of his things on Amazon. The first look of the book was quite interesting and after reading the blurb it had my full attention.
After the first two pages, I was hooked. Did you know there is a mini-series adaptation as well of this book starring Brie Larson; it came out last year? For me, like always book was better than the series; however, my sister loved the latter more. Although I loved the work of the female lead in the series.
Blurb
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. 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. (Source)
What I liked and disliked about the book?
“And as humans, we’re by-products of our upbringings, victims of our lackluster educational systems, and choosers of our behaviors. In short, the reduction of women to something less than men, and the elevation of men to something more than women, is not biological: it’s cultural. And it starts with two words: pink and blue. Everything skyrockets out of control from there.” Speaking”
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The above lines will be enough for someone to know how good this book is. The writer’s style will reel you in with how easy it is to read. The language was very smooth, the characters were strong and confident. To understand indirect and direct patriarchy, and how determination can still reach out to the right people. It blends historical fiction with sharp social commentary, all wrapped into an engaging storyline. Garmus excels at weaving together a narrative that is both thought-provoking and entertaining.
The protagonist fiercely pursued her passion, refusing to let societal prejudice define her path, even though she was born into a time that dismissed women for being brilliant, bold, or different. She let her work speak for her, time and again, always choosing reason over reaction. And in raising her daughter, she passed down the same teachings to her to rely on herself, to dream big, and to work hard for the life she wanted.
The book has such a good description that I can feel every emotion she is feeling, the love, the pain, the grief of Calvin dying, motherhood, and I love her confidence! I can’t not mention the character I fell in love with the most, the dog. That character, Six Thirty, completed the book for me.
I was often reminded that as women, we need to lift other women, not tear them down. Overall, a thought-provoking, engaging story well worth a read. I can’t wait to read Bonnie Garmus’ next novel 🙂
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