Bonnie Garmus has done a wonderful job in presenting an unorthodox protagonist with her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry. Meet Elizabeth Zott, a 1960s woman who loves being a chemist during a time when women were expected to be housewives.

After being forced out of college early, she takes an underpaying job at Hastings Research Laboratories. There she meets and falls in love with the brilliant and famous chemist, Calvin Evans. When Calvin is out of the picture, Elizabeth gets fired after learning she is pregnant out of wedlock. Eventually, she goes back to Hastings, only to be mistreated once again. Through a chance meeting, Elizabeth is hired to star in a live afternoon cooking show called Supper At Six. The station manager wants Elizabeth to dress sexy and cater to dumb housewives. Instead, Elizabeth teaches women the chemistry involved in cooking and encourages them to achieve greater things. She is a breath of fresh air in the stale male-dominated world.

I couldn’t help but laugh and cry with Elizabeth as she struggled to be the best mother and chemist she could possibly be. I’m pretty sure that this eccentric character will be one of my favorites in 2022.

4.5-stars rounded up to 5. Book club recommended. Thanks to #NetGalley and Doubleday Books for my advanced reader copy. The expected publication date is April 5, 2022.