Bonnie Garmus’ ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ is a historical fiction about a genius chemist and her prodigy daughter struggling to have her work legitimised in a sexist 60s American society, who finds fame on a cooking show that teaches housewives the chemistry of cooking and inspires them to seek something more. It is a portrayal of gender roles, losing and finding family, religious turmoil and sexuality and race in lesser cases, taking criticisms at so many of the flaws in society. 

Elizabeth Zott is a fiery and powerful protagonist heading Garmus’ feminist critique, but her stubbornness in some cases does cause many of her problems. As powerful as she is, she relies on the prodigy archetype and a lot of unrealistic convenience and luck for her chances in life that aren’t the most realistic though they are commendable and you really do find yourself rooting for her. The use of two prodigy character types with her daughter Madeline, (or even three if you consider the dog Six-Thirty that really randomly has some chapters told from his perspective), does add to a few too many uses of the very convenient trope.

The book was enjoyable and very readable, I absolutely soared through it in long sittings listening, though I did feel it all tied up a little too nicely in manners that once again seemed convenient and unrealistic. There were also a lot of sub-plots that should’ve held so much more weight in the final third (even a bomb plot which plays so minor a role that it isn’t even a spoiler), however for the most part a lot of them were glossed over.