Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 

"Despite what Elizabeth Zott will tell you, Supper at Six is not just an introduction to chemistry. It's a thirty-minute, five-day-a-week lesson in life. And not in who we are or what we're made of, but rather, who we're capable of becoming."

        -Franklin Roth, journalist, from the novel

This book was highly recommended by a friend and fellow page-turner and had appeared on the NYT Bestseller list for several weeks. I waited a longgg time to get it from the library. I must say the title made me wonder if I'd enjoy it, having been barely tolerant of "chemistry lessons" in college. It was so much more than the title, however, and I did enjoy it very much. My rating: a solid 4.

Elizabeth Zott. a chemist at Hastings Research Institute in S. California in 1952, has a run-in with Calvin Evans, a celebrated scientist who is known as a grudge-holder and something of a social misfit. Elizabeth is ahead of her time in her views on women's rights, pretty much a feminist before it was a thing. She is intelligent, self-assured and assertive but far from socially adept herself. 

As a reader might predict, the two fall in love and move in together. They adopt a dog, Six-Thirty, who is extremely smart, humorously so, because he tells parts of the story! Though Elizabeth refuses Calvin's marriage proposal and has no desire for children, she ends up pregnant and gets fired. A sign of the times!

Elizabeth loses Calvin, the love of her life and is devastated (I'll let you find out how). Fortunately, she has a neighbor, Harriet Sloane, who becomes her dearest friend and helps her through some rough spots.

Elizabeth's daughter, Madeline, called Mad, is VERY precocious. In fact, at a very tender age, she begins researching her father's background leading to an interesting plot twist.

As the quote mentions. Elizabeth takes a job as host on a TV cooking show called "Supper at Six." She uses this platform to encourage her female audience to become all they want to be and teaches "chemistry lessons," much to the producer's chagrin. Wouldn't you know the show is a huge success and Elizabeth becomes a celebrity!

There are many interesting secondary characters, some adding humor and others, profound thoughts, and some that you really loved to hate. It was a challenge to choose one quote when there were many thought-provoking ones. Bonnie Garmus certainly made a hit with this debut novel. I am sure there will be others!