“Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.” - Elizabeth Zott
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, follows the life of Elizabeth Zott as a chemist to a TV show cook host. After losing her soulmate, she goes on a journey as a mother, a chemist, and a woman in a male dominated world.
Elizabeth Zott was a character that I wasn’t expecting. A blunt, straightforward, and often stubborn character, she is not the lovable type that appears in the Disney movies. However, it is the honesty and confidence that Zott brings to the story that makes it so appealing and trustworthy. And finding someone who is that headstrong against a world that works against her, I find hope. Her expressing her unique passions of chemistry and cooking with compounds showed me that expressing my own quirks was okay to do. That being headstrong can, in fact, bring good consequences and a new path.
Additionally, the way Zott empowered women in a very surprising method. Although a cooking show can be seen as traditionally feminine, Zott utilizes this mode to reach a wider audience and empower them. Instead of leading women through protests or big organizations, Supper at Six (Zott’s show) provides them a sneaky but compelling way to change. This not only impacts nationwide housewives, but also the people next to Zott. Harriet, who is Zott’s neighbor and soon Mad’s caretaker, begins to take initiative as she learns that she herself possesses her own power and soon escapes her abusive relationship. Even though I haven’t experienced or gone through the same struggles the characters have done in the book, Zott’s interest restored the fact that I did have more agency than I thought. Thus, it was interesting to see Elizabeth Zott use cooking as a means to express power. Still, I was able to enjoy the quirky romance between Zott and Evans as well as the young but insightful Mad. Of course, I loved Six-Thirty (the dog).
Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone who needs a brain break and an easily read but also a heartwarming message about women empowerment. Five outta five 🤩.
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