Bonnie Garmus

This is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me--and I went back and forth on how to rate it. At the beginning I was underwhelmed, but the story grew on me as I listened to it. It's set in the 1960s I believe--at a time when women scientists were few and women in most workplaces dealt with sexual harassment. What I liked: *Elizabeth Zott--a female in chemistry at a time when there were probably few women chemists in the United States *That Elizabeth didn't dumb down her cooking show for the female audience but believed that they could understand complex chemical concepts--and for encouraging women to follow their dreams even if their skill set fell outside what the norms for women at the time were. *SixThirty (the dog). I just fell in love with him from the time he was introduced. What I didn't like: *Much as I do feel Calvin and Elizabeth were soulmates--I didn't like that they never got married (Elizabeth seemed opposed to marriage)--and I didn't like that they were intimate outside of marriage. We don't really know if Elizabeth's pregnancy would have changed their relationship status. *Sexist attitudes: Elizabeth's professor, Elizabeth's boss at Hastings, Mrs. Mudford Etc.… (plus d'informations)

So many people claimed that Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus ranked as an exceptional novel. Yes, the book provides questions and answers concerning females in the workforce, but the abundance of chemistry terms in the book repelled me. The story centers on Elizabeth Zott and her quest to promote her skills in chemistry, but her male co-workers and boss all take credit for Elizabeth accomplishments. Then, a glimmer of hope at the end of the rainbow, as Elizabeth becomes a renown television cooking hostess utilizing her chemistry skills. Supporting characters, such as Harriet Sloane, Six-Thirty, Wakely, and Calvin Evans ease the story in support of quirky Elizabeth. And last, but not least, shines the highly intelligent Madeline, the daughter of Elizabeth. A story filled with hope, but, again, too much chemistry.… (plus d'informations)