Lessons in Chemistry

CW: sexual assault, rampant sexism, death of a loved oneElizabeth Zott is one of those fictional heroines whose name will go down in modern literary history like [b:Olive Kitteridge 1736739 Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1) Elizabeth Strout https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320430655l/1736739.SY75.jpg 3263906] or Eleanor Olyphant. She is brilliant, single-minded, stern, uncompromising and fiercely protective of the few people (and animals) she loves. Following her epic struggle to be taken seriously as a chemist in the 1950s/60s will break your heart, enrage you and, surprisingly, make you laugh. Much of the book takes place during her stint as a TV cooking host, as she eschews what the network wants (attractive wifey wearing appropriately sexy clothes while making a few easy recipes that culminate in a cocktail finale) in favor of distinctive, no-nonsense instructions for using chemistry to understand how recipe ingredients interact. She inspires millions of women (and pisses off a few as well), but all she wants is to get back to her life work in abiogenesis. For anyone who thinks the sexism in the book is exaggerated, let me refer you to several songs from the hit 1960s Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying) : “A Secretary is Not a Toy,” and “I'm So Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” as well as the lyrics to same era's Fiorello! ditty “Marry the Very Next Man” And if he likes me,Who cares how frequently he strikes me?I'll fetch his slippers with my arm in a slingJust for the privilege of wearing his ring Unfortunately Elizabeth's fictional experiences of the worst kind of male chauvinism are totally believable.I loved the way Garmus weaves little interactions with secondary characters into the story, bringing them together in unexpected ways as the plot develops. I didn't always love Elizabeth but I rooted for her wholeheartedly. Lessons in Chemistry deserves all of the buzz it's getting as a strong debut and one of the best books of 2022.