My dear 2% reader, I come to you with my head hung low. I have ~once again~ dismissed a title due to its buzz and bandwagon-ness, only to discover two years after the fact that the buzz was worthwhile and I love it. Will I ever learn and get over my fear of the bandwagon? Probably not, but at least I’m a big enough person to admit when I’m wrong (right?).
E. Zott is a brilliant chemist, working on cutting-edge research that often gets overlooked or attributed to colleagues. This is because E. Zott is a woman working in the 1960s working in a male-dominated field.
This satirical comedy unpacks the struggles Elizabeth endures as a single mom in the 60s, the respect she strives to imbue upon the stay-at-home mom’s watching her television show (not as far as a jump from the lab as one might think), and the relationships that define a life.
Influenced by Garmus’s own experience of being ignored and overlooked in the workplace, this is not a novel that has an antiquated message. While there is a pervasive moral to the story, it hardly comes off as preachy or man-hating as you fall in love with the characters, the relationship developments, and Elizabeth Zott’s sheer tenacity.
I’m so glad I picked this up in the end. It had me hooked from the beginning and kept me entertained the whole way through. An easy – but insightful – read that should be added to any TBR list.
2% Rating: 8/10
Recommend? Definitely
Re-Read? Maybe!
Time: 1:28