Karen Sherwood

Funny, quirky, delightful. In 1960’s California, Elizabeth, a brilliant female chemist finds her soulmate, Calvin, a celebrated young male chemist at the mediocre lab where they both work ( he had tons of prestigious offers, but chose this institution because of the good California weather.) As their relationship blossoms, Elizabeth still has to deal with the ongoing prejudice against women in the male-dominated world of science. Although Calvin is her stalwart supporter, Elizabeth eventually finds herself a single mother, raising a brilliant young daughter..with the help of an equally brilliant dog and a wonderful neighbor. As the science world tries to slam its door in her face, Elizabeth’s determined attitude and her love of chemistry result in her becoming the star of a unique TV cooking show, but that is not her final triumph. The novel also contains intriguing mysteries about family and identity which must be unraveled, as well as vivid descriptions of the joys of competitive rowing (on which I think I’ll pass). But the most important thing is that you will surely love every moment that you spend with the remarkable Elizabeth Zott. I read it in three days, and I wish I could read it again for the first time.