"Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself."

*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Wow wow wow, I've put off writing this because I sincerely didn't know where to start in covering all the amazing things happening and working in this book. I think it's amazing for its portrayal of women during a time when they weren't taken seriously in professional workplaces, discouraged to report sexual assault and rape, and generally had to prove themselves competent at every turn. I also think it's amazing for its melding of different topics I didn't think could all be fit together the way they are here: rowing, chemistry, parenting, romance, religion, etc. But what I think is most amazing is its ability to be Elizabeth's story while also putting emphasis on Calvin. I think I'd have been disappointed if it felt like it was primarily a romance, that Elizabeth's story was one of self-discovery and advocacy because of love, and not merely because she had respect for herself. Thankfully, that's not the case, because Elizabeth and Calvin's relationship is described to be based on chemistry and, therefore, the kind of bond that acts as a catalyst for Elizabeth to keep living and doing her best to create a life for herself and her daughter even after the father is gone. But wow, was I really really sad when he died. I think the way it happened was not only heartbreaking for its unexpectedly accidental nature, but because what ifs and a sense of guilt keep reappearing in the narrative at the most opportune times. This book made me outright angry a few times, too, like "I want to punch that character in the face" angry, but I view that as a good thing.
I simply must mention Six-Thirty the dog, the best character in the book, with possibly the most complex interior life and character development. I loved how he had a role to play in the story, that he wasn't just the dog off to the side, nonverbal and unimportant. He's Mad's friend and protector of sorts, and Elizabeth's reminder to keep trying and learning and moving forward with life. And he's so smart! I also love Harriet as a side character, as a woman in need of her own companionship and escape who sees someone else in need of her parenting skills and, as a happy result, becomes part of a new family, per se. Reverend Wakely and Mad's friendship as a result of "research" on her father felt like a fun puzzle to put together, too. I like how they learn from each other in equal parts. I think this book introduces and develops chraracters incredibly well---my opinion or expectation of each and every one of them was subverted by the time I reached the end, either in a good way or a bad way. This especially applies to Walter, the not-so-great TV studio professional, who I expected to be a womanizer unable to separate Elizabeth's beauty from the rest of her. The way he also enters into Elizabeth's sense of found family, built on the foundations of who Calvin was to her, was very sweet. My favorite part (besides Six-Thirty and Elizabeth meeting Calvin's biological mother and getting her job and research back in the same day) is that Calvin wasn't particularly exceptional in the street smarts department despite his intellectual prowess. All that to say, I like how Elizabeth loved him to her very core, but was able to see in hindsight that she never completely lost herself when she lost him, that she's still her own autonomous and capable person who, against all odds, must go on and raise her daughter, try to inspire and teach the masses her expertise, and find a way to be taken seriously in a world where it seems like everyone would rather overlook her brilliance. 



Some of my favorite quotes from Lessons in Chemistry:

"Sometimes I think," she said slowly, "that if a man were to spend a day being a woman in America, he wouldn't make it past noon."

"Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do."

"Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize. Marriage counsellors would go out of business. Do you see my point?"

"Humans need reassurance, they need to know others survived in hard times. And unlike other species which do a better job of learning from their mistakes, humans require constant threats and reminders to be nice."

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