Stellar exposé of an academic woman in a “man’s” world. With apologies to Elizabeth who would hate that label.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a genius story! I laughed, I raged, I cringed, I teared up, I cheered, and I fell in love with Elizabeth Zott, truth seeker and brilliant research chemist at a time when women were given the proverbial pat on the head, or bottom, and sent to make coffee. Leaning towards being somewhat on the spectrum, Elizabeth is so focused on her research that she misses the social cues that if she gave them a thought, would cause her to be less.
I adored her daughter Mad and I can’t even begin to relate how I feel about the family dog Six-Thirty, a failed bomb sniffer canine, who is protective, intelligent and wise.
Elizabeth always expects that people (and animals—are not humans animals? a basic tenant that causes much trouble for Elizabeth) are able to “do” things. That extends to the audience of her unexpected job hosting a TV Cooking show (which Elizabeth translates as chemistry for her own understanding), daughter Mad who by five has read most of Dickens, and Six-Thirty who after training from Elizabeth understands upwards of 900 words. What Elizabeth expects and mostly never gets is fairness and acceptance from her male counterparts at the University research facility, (they feel are threatened and exposed), and her female colleague who feel jealous. Out of left field, Elizabeth finds that acceptance from the unexpected love of her life, the equally as brilliant, and as socially awkward, Calvin Evans, a leading chemist with the Institute. The “who” of Calvin. and their chemistry together, is a radiant, wonderful part of the story.
Discrimination and injustice are all part of the backdrop set in the 1950’s and 60’s world of academic research. That includes the unwanted sexual advances, the hypocrisy involved in the stealing of Elizabeth’s work and research, and the inability of stupid men in power to acknowledge their own limitations, and their wanting to make Elizabeth pay for being a threat to their egos, and the confident self image she represents. Something they resent.
There are so many great moments in this story. I was struck by Elizabeth’s enraged, pertinent observation, her questions as to why women perpetuate cultural stereotypes,
“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.” The ideas underlying this tale are BIG, and haven’t lost any of their impetus for today.
A superb read!
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