Reviewing a book that has become as wildly popular as “Lessons in Chemistry” (Doubleday), the debut novel by author Bonnie Garmus, always gives me pause. Praising a late-career first novel (Garmus is in her sixties) that has already spent six months on a slew of bestseller lists in the U.S., whose rights have been sold in 40 countries and is already set to be a series on Apple TV+ would add but one more faint imprimatur to what has already become something of a literary juggernaut.
And frankly, panning such a universally praised work would cause me to wonder what I missed. Full disclosure; I was one of a tiny minority of readers who did not care for the hugely popular “Where the Crawdads Sing” (compelling main character, but a gimmicky resolution and a courtroom scene a bit too reminiscent of “Inherit the Wind” and others).
That said, Garmus — who it has been reported suffered almost 100 rejections of her prior literary efforts — has authored a winning novel that accomplishes a literary hat trick; holds readers’ attention start to finish, drives home serious themes (around empowerment of women in the workplace, and elsewhere) and makes its points with wicked humor.
As a bonus, it has found (as has all good storytelling) wide appeal among a broad spectrum of readers.
Set in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, we trace the travails and triumphs of Elizabeth Zott, the only female chemist at the third-rate Hastings Research Institute. Third-rate that is, except for the presence of Calvin Evans, Nobel nominee and magnet for the grant funding that’s keeping the institute afloat. Calvin, in love with the practice of pure science, recognizes Elizabeth’s brilliance. The attraction is mutual. The result? Pure love, “...their first kiss cementing a permanent bond that even chemistry could not explain.”
Unfortunately, love is about the only good thing about Elizabeth’s tenure at Hastings, where she is relegated to the title of lab assistant, denigrated (and worse) by the director of the facility, and has the credit for her work appropriated by others. Refusing to recognize her as a colleague, the powers that be are not pleased with Elizabeth and Calvin’s relationship, and following an unfortunate turn of events, she leaves the institute.
Fast forward a few years, and Zott finds herself accepting the unlikely role of host of “Supper at Six,” a daytime cooking show on a local TV station. Unlikely to everyone but Elizabeth, who makes the logical observation that “Cooking is chemistry after all, isn’t it?” Adamantly eschewing the frilly froufrou that the producer of the show attempts to foist upon her, Elizabeth appears on camera dressed in a lab coat and presents her program as a lesson in chemistry. As you might guess, the show becomes a smash hit.
Meanwhile, Zott dutifully prepares healthy lunches (“Fuel for learning”) for daughter Madeline before she heads to the studio, and exhorts her to be as organized and independent as she is by enclosing words of wisdom, such as paraphrasing Sartre, “It is not your imagination, most people are awful.”
Not all the words of wisdom come from Elizabeth Zott. A surprising amount of wisdom emanates from Six-Thirty, a ‘failed’ bomb-sniffing dog that becomes the family pet, a delightful addition to Garmus’ cast of characters.
I’ve skirted around a few spoilers, and there are more than a few zany twists, turns and reversals of fortune before Garmus brings “Lessons in Chemistry” to the very satisfying conclusion of this tale of sexism, empowerment and possibility.
Special thanks to the Doylestown Bookshop (doylestownbookshop.com) for its assistance in preparing this edition of Book Talk! Until next time, remember that “It’s always better with a book!”
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