Jan says, The cover of this book does not do it justice. Even though it’s been on the bestseller lists for months, I assumed it was a silly rom-com and passed it by. But after hearing a bit more about it, I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. It’s clever, smart, and funny. Having grown up in the 1960’s, I could certainly relate to the main character’s experiences with misogyny in the workplace and in society. And her precocious daughter reminded me of my own daughters’ quick wits and independence.
Sally’s thoughts: I wasn’t sure this could live up to the hype but it did. It makes a strong feminist statement in the most entertaining way. I can’t wait for her next book.
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2022), Winner for Best Debut Novel (2022)
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.
