"Lessons in Chemistry," by Bonnie Garmus

“Lessons in Chemistry” (Doubleday, 2022), by Bonnie Garmus, caught me by surprise, in a delightful way. It is an extremely feminist novel, not didactic at all, but makes its points in a biting but also humorous way. The main character, Elizabeth Zott, is a chemist in a time (the early 1960s) when the world of science was still not ready for women in science, at least not in positions other than menial ones, serving male scientists. Zott, though, never takes no for an answer, and through persistence, ingenuity, and belief in herself, is able to succeed. The novel is about more than this point, though, as it shows Elizabeth engaging with the world, with men, with what love (another kind of "chemistry") is or isn’t, and much more. This novel made me angry (but not surprised) on Zott’s behalf, and at the same time I was thoroughly engaged and even entertained. It is a unique, quirky, meaningful novel that I highly recommend.