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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Book Review


Reasons For Reading This Book:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was Jackie's choice for the month of October. Jackie is the host of The Readheads Podcast Book Club. This is a monthly podcast book club that I have been apart of since it was established in 2020. I love getting to hear the thoughts of the hosts each month. 

Content of the Book:

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist but is much more than meets the eye. She is not only beautiful but also extremely smart, confident, strong, and not afraid to beat to her own drum. Elizabeth is one of the only female chemists working at Hastings Research Institute. She is viewed as different by everyone there. It's there that she meet Nobel-Prize nominated chemist Calvin Evans. Calvin who falls in love with Elizabeth is described as a loner, grudge holder, and extremely brilliant. Fast forward a few years and Elizabeth is now a single-mother working as the host of the most watched cooking show, Supper at Six. With Elizabeth's ways of doing things she struggles to accept this new job and being away from the lab. While on air Elizabeth is not only instructing how to prepare supper, but is also encouraging women is break away from society's standards and do what they want in life. Read to find out how this out of the box protagonist handles the unpredictable challenges put on her plate. 

What I Liked About This Book:


As someone who is a woman in science I was a huge fan of the theme of empowering women to study and work in science. Another theme that I found intriguing was the theme of science versus religion. 

I feel like it took me forever to get to 41% of the book. I think this is because up to that point it was all in the past and I was wondering when and how it would get to the present. After the half way mark even through I was reading about the same amount each day as I had been I read through the rest of the book faster. Next thing I knew I was at 82%. Once I got to that point in the book everything that was unknown was being discovered. I felt like the author had spent so much of the book talking about other things that this section had to be rushed because it was already a really long book. In my opinion some of the most important details came out in a discussion between two characters and was just glossed over. I would have loved more detail than what was given. Also once I got to 82% I had no idea how the book was going to end because the author had only given the reader clues for the start of present day and not the end of present day. While reading this book I was constantly thinking how is it going to end and how I personally wanted it to end. I could not think of how I wanted it to end so I stopped thinking about it and just read to find out the author's ending.

Even though I was not alive in the 1960s, my mother and grandmother were and I have watched a lot of shows based in that time period. In my opinion Bonnie Garmus was spot on with her use of the time period. She incorporated lifestyle, social, and cultural references of the time into this piece of fiction. 

I loved the use of Six-Thrity's perspective. It brought a unique point of view. Even in other fiction books you don't get the chance to read about how the family dog is involved in family life. He was an extension of the family who played an important role in the live's of all family members. Also on this topic, Bonnie Garmus seamlessly transitioned from one perspective to the other. In the middle of a scene you would read about one person's perspective and then flow right into another's like you were just flowing from one brain to the next but all while having the same interaction. 

Its a great transition book for between heavy or dramatic reads. The writing has an ease and flow to it that is very enjoyable to read. It is the perfect read for a vacation or while traveling. 

What I Disliked About This Book:

It took me a couple of weeks after I read this book to finally decide my overall opinion on the book. I found The Redheads podcast episode helped me do this. I knew I had enjoyed the book, but there was something in the way that wasn't allowing me to love it. After listening to the podcast I think I might have figured out what is stopping me from loving it. It is Elizabeth. Now when I say this don't get scared. There are a few reasons why I think that is. One is because she always had to be different. I am not someone who is like that at all, one would even say the complete opposite. So with that I found her actions to be very unrelatable and even made me cringe because it was something I could never do. With that being said, it allowed me to reflect and see that beating to your own drum has its benefits and can get you to where you want to be. Now in comparison to what I just said, I do think that the two of us actually do have some significant things in common. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking something is off about Elizabeth and maybe also Calvin. After listening to The Readheads podcast episode I think that I have come to the conclusion that Elizabeth has autistic and ADHD symptoms/behaviors/mannerisms. After I came to this conclusion I did some research and could not find other readers/reviewers saying the same thing. As someone who is neurodivergent, I feel like I can say this as I am fully aware of these symptoms/behaviors/mannerism. At times it was very apparent that both Calvin and Elizabeth struggled to identify and correctly process social cues. I could say more but I think that is something that bothered me because it was so apparent to me once I realized that and that is why the book felt off to me the whole time I was reading it. I do not know if the author had this intention when writing the book, but I would have preferred her to just identify her this way instead of just claiming she was different and unique as in my opinion there was a reason for that.

If you have read this book I would love to hear your opinions in the comments below!!

Would I Recommend This Book?


The short answer is yes, I would recommend this book. Even though there were things I disliked about the book I had an enjoyable time reading it, could not get it out of my thoughts, and loved all the 'lessons' experienced in the book. Overall I gave it 4 stars. If you are thinking of reading this book I say go for it!

Check out my book reviews for 2022!!


Check out my book reviews for 2021!!


Check out my book reviews for 2020!!

Check out my book reviews for 2019!!

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Comments

  1. Chuck BushJuly 13, 2023 at 2:10 AM

    Great article by Bonnie Garmus! Chemistry lessons can be challenging but vital. Her insights on practical applications and real-life examples make learning engaging and relatable. I appreciate her dedication to helping students grasp complex concepts. If you looking forward to more educational content like this contact Chemistry tutor in Singapore. Thanks for sharing!

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