Well for starters, this was a great show and an even better book. Although I broke the unspoken rule of watching the TV show first, I loved the show so much I knew I had to read the book too. Let’s just say, it did not disappoint.

In Lessons in Chemistry, the main character is an unsocial chemist named Elizabeth Zott. Sadly, she lives in the 1950s, meaning that she faces extreme sexism in every aspect of her career. Furthermore, Elizabeth is a very attractive woman, so she faces sexual assault and cruelty from the men and jealousy and catiness from the women. Personally, I wonder how her life would have been different if she was not as attractive. Back to the summary, Elizabeth does have a job at a science facility called Hastings in Common, California. There, she meets a man named Calvin Evans. They fall deeply in love and live together happily for about two years. They do not get married at Elizabeth’s request and do not have children, but the couple did have a very intelligent dog named Six-Thirty. 

Unfortunately, Calvin gets hit by a police car and dies. Then, to make matters worse, Elizabeth gets fired because she finds out she is pregnant with Calvin’s baby. In her prematernal rage, Elizabeth returns home and makes a lab inside her house to continue working. She also ergs (which is a rowing machine but on land) to keep healthy. When her daughter, Mad, is born, Elizabeth struggles to be a good mom. Her neighbor, Harriet, hears the screaming child and comes to help take care of her and offer support. Now with a 4 year old in kindergarten, Elizabeth has to find a source of income for her family. She gets a job working as a TV chef. On her show, Supper at Six, Elizabeth cooks while explaining the chemistry behind it. She is a huge hit and her show skyrockets. While her mother is on TV, Mad has a troublesome school project. She ends up talking to a minister for help, and later finds out he was a pen pal of her father. After that, (I’m almost done I swear), Elizabeth quits her job. She returns to Hastings and finds out that her sponsor who has funded her work was actually Calvin’s mother. However, the endings are different between the show and the book.

Ok, now that you have the summary for the idea, let’s get down to the differences between the show and the book.

Elizabeth’s Job at Hastings

Show: Elizabeth is a lab technician, showing sexism.

Book: Elizabeth is a chemist (although not respected).

Rowing

Show: It’s not really a key point or focus. It does appear, but not often.

Book: Calvin and Elizabeth row together often and even row with other men. Elizabeth continues to erg for a long time as it not only connects her with Calvin but makes her tired. 

Harriet Sloane

Show: Harriet is a young Black woman who lives with her loving children, as her husband is a soldier at war. She is also an activist.

Book: Harriet is an older white woman. She lives with her abusive husband and her kids are grown up. She is in a way a nanny for Mad and dedicates her time to the Zotts. 

Civil Rights

Show: Harriet is a huge activist. Elizabeth also lives in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Furthermore, Harriet and Elizabeth had important conversations and went to a protest together.

Book: Not talked about or mentioned at all.

The Ending

Show: Elizabeth becomes a chemistry teacher at a local college. 

Book: Elizabeth (is assumed) to return to Hastings as the Head of Chemistry. 

To sum up this entire article: read or watch Lessons in Chemistry, it’s great. I love it. I think it’s a deeper show, but it has so many light moments that it feels satisfying to watch/read. 10/10 Recommendation. 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.