A review by karteabooks
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What an amazing book! I really wish that I could give this book more than five stars, it really is that good! This will definitely be one of my top reads of 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. 

But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of quality. 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. 

I loved the whole premise of the book, and I did warm to Elizabeth and her quirks, after initially finding her slightly annoying! My favourite character though, had to be Six-Thirty and his intuitions. 

I honestly don’t know what to say about this book to give it the full justice that it deserves, so I urge you to read it for yourself and see why I’m struggling to put it into words. It publishes on the 5th April 2022, but pre-order it now, ready to devour and be swept away to America in the 1960s and be ready to join in with Supper at Six. 

Thank you to Alison, @alison_is_reading and @bonniegarmus for a gifted copy of this amazing book.