
At Shepherd Stevens tagged five of the best novels on smart, quirky women facing personal struggles. One title on the list:
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie GarmusRead about the other entries on Stevens's list.
This book contained everything I love in a novel: a sympathetic and unforgettable hero and a story that’s funny, original, and often surprising.
Elizabeth Zott is a beautiful woman and a gifted scientist, and I could feel her frustration as she tried to compete in the male-dominated professional world of the early 1960s. I cheered her on when she met her soulmate, fellow researcher Calvin, and abandoned her lonely existence.
When Elizabeth later ended up hosting a popular TV cooking show, where she taught her female fans how to break out of the stereotypical housewife rut to become modern women, I cheered even louder at her bold defiance of the status quo.
Lessons in Chemistry is among Lorna Graham's seven top workplace novels and Claire Alexander's five books to read for when you’re lonely.
--Marshal Zeringue