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A review by cmcahill
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
July 2024. Leading the discussion of this book with the UUCUC Feminist Book Group
Elizabeth Zott, a scientist working in the 50's is surrounded by people who are threatened by her beauty, intelligence, but mostly threatened by the fact that she doesn't listen to the nay-sayers. I don't want to put in any spoilers, but I can say that her life doesn't go in directions she expected. Some folks might find the story a bit didactic, but having worked in a lab for several years, Elizabeth's story sadly rang true to my experience in the 1980s.
This was actually my second reading. Read it last year with the Reading Between the Wines book group.
Elizabeth Zott, a scientist working in the 50's is surrounded by people who are threatened by her beauty, intelligence, but mostly threatened by the fact that she doesn't listen to the nay-sayers. I don't want to put in any spoilers, but I can say that her life doesn't go in directions she expected. Some folks might find the story a bit didactic, but having worked in a lab for several years, Elizabeth's story sadly rang true to my experience in the 1980s.
This was actually my second reading. Read it last year with the Reading Between the Wines book group.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment