My first five-star read of 2023 (and so early-on, too)!

Let me tell how you how I decided to read this: I was at Barnes & Noble for their day after Christmas sale to spend some of my gift cards - I'm walking through the store minding my own business when this book with its bright pink cover and sprayed turquoise pages literally jumps off the table at me! There's a sign that says "B&N Book of the Year pick" & I pause, picking it up. (Do they know how to advertise or what?!) I 'assumed' it was a romance because of the cover, but when I opened the flap and saw in the first few lines its about a Female Chemist and 1960s..I decided we were reading this! 

**This book does have TW for Rape, Homophobia, Suicide** There may be others but those are the three prominent ones that stick out to me. There is also a strong presence of Atheism and putting down Christianity.


This story follows Elizabeth Zott who is Chemist during the 1950's & 60s - though her co-workers don't really treat her as such. She's always seen as beneath them, being asked to do secretarial work and having the hard work that she has done, stolen from her. That is, until she meets Calvin and together they become quite the chemical bond. (Sorry, I had to.) She has a dog named 6:30, a best friend named Harriet, and a daughter named Mad (though she goes by Madeline). After the birth of her daughter, she's forced out of science and finds herself on a television show centered around cooking, called 'Supper at Six'; though Elizabeth always mentions that she's a Chemist, using Chemistry to Cook, not a Chef. But being controlled doesn't stop there as she's often told how to act, what to wear, what to say, etc. Basically, she starts to just do whatever she wants - pushing back against the societal norms and teaching women that there is more to life than being a housewife and cooking dinner! 

BUT, is the fame that comes with the show what Elizabeth wants? Follow along to find out! 

So, for me personally; the book started off strong and I was eagerly diving in at every chance I got. Towards the middle, it did slow down a bit and there were a few parts that I found boring but not boring enough that I wanted to put it aside and not pick it back up. Then, in probably the last 1/4 of the book, or less, it really took off again and solidified my reasoning for giving it 5 stars. 

I think that overall, the story behind this book is really, really powerful. Women CAN and SHOULD do whatever it is that they want; despite societal 'norms' or what's considered to be 'appropriate'. There is something about this book that just really made me feel empowered! Maybe it's because I've reached a point in my life where I'm finally making changes that suite me and are changes that I BELIEVE in and WANT for myself. Or maybe it's just because as a woman I'm so sick and tired of old, white, crusty men running the world and deciding what's best for people they know nothing about.

If you're in STEM, you're a woman, or overall just want to read a real coming of age story, I highly recommend Lesson's in Chemistry for you! 

Finally; here are a few (because there are many) of my favorite quotes:

'As humans, we’re by-products of our upbringings, victims of our lackluster educational systems, and choosers of our behaviors. In short, the reduction of women to something less than men, and the elevation of men to something more than women, is not biological: it’s cultural. And it starts with two words: pink and blue. Everything skyrockets out of control from there.'
 - Uh, absolutely! Pink and blue are just simply colors; that is literally it. They should not define who we are or what we do. But some person, likely a man, many moons ago decided they did and since we've been fighting the fight to overcome it! Women have only ever been in positions of lesser power or been seen as a certain way because again somewhere down the line that's how it started and woman of earlier times just accepted it as status quo. Women of today are not. NEVER AGAIN. And it started with Feminists such as Elizabeth Zott.


'Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun.'
 - Yes, your days are numbered! Are you going to become a victim of nature and let life pass you by without taking the chances that are yours? Do you want to look back some day and know that you did everything you wanted and what made you happy OR do you want to look back and wish you could have or should have or would have?


And at last, this one. This one brought actual tears to my eyes:

'Whenever you feel afraid, just remember. 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.'
 - *Mic drop*. That's all.





Happy Reading, friends!