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Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover – Lessons in Chemistry

Review  – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus pub Transworld (Penguin) 2022

What attracts you to pick up a book? The author? The title? The art work on the front cover? Recommendation? The ‘blurb’?

I’d never heard of the author. The title didn’t draw me in. Neither did the art work, mmm … Recommendation – it was a present. Now the blurb did attract me. The early sixties, one woman, a highly qualified one, in an all-male research establishment. Equality? What equality? This was the early sixties. This was a boom to which I could relate!

And I did relate, going so far as to say empathise, with the protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, a professional woman in a man’s world. As well as contending with being respected for her intellect she is different in other ways, as is her husband and, in consequence, so is their daughter.. This may be viewed as a satirical novel and it works well as such. It is also funny in other ways in dealing with situations in the sixties. Perhaps, most of all it is thought provoking. It may be set in the sixties but it is timeless.

I particularly enjoyed hearing the dog’s point of view. Have always believed we underestimate the capacity of animals to understand thinking processes … babies too!

It is well written and flows well, The characters are so superbly drawn the reader is able to visualise them. I am so pleased that I didn’t judge this book by its cover. And I recommend it to all (including men.)

Mary Irvine ©

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