“Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others’ opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what you will change. And then get started.”

Lessons in Chemistry is a fantastic character-driven novel centering on Elizabeth Zott, a female chemist in the male-dominated ‘50s and ‘60s. Bonnie Garmus does an excellent job depicting the life of an intelligent, capable, independent woman in that time period, including the very real sexism experienced at every turn. The beginning of this book is laugh-out-loud funny, but quickly delves deeper as the book progresses. I absolutely love the strong feminist mindset that Elizabeth has, and also that she’s so literal and no-nonsense. Her dog, Six-Thirty, is a shining star in this book, and his perspective is a really fun addition to this story. Lessons in Chemistry has already been picked up by AppleTV and I can’t wait to watch!

Thanks you Doubleday Books for the copy of this ARC!