Linda and Nancy love Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry. Linda shares her earliest memory, from fourth grade, of being told that as a girl she shouldn’t really be good in math and not English. They agree the sexism portrayed in the novel are very relatable. Linda observes that the protagonist Elizabeth is somewhat rigid in her approach to life, and she doesn’t understand how to work effectively with other people. She also refuses to see limits, particularly in her daughter and the dog. Linda points out everyone has limits. Nancy likes the idea of seeing potential and having more a growth mindset. Linda agrees outcomes in life may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Nancy points out that many “isms” such as racism or sexism can be very subtle, leading to self-doubt. She remembers Trevor Noah saying he preferred the explicit racism of South Africa over the hidden racism in America. Elizabeth Zott signs off her cooking show with the quote “Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself.” Linny thought this represents Elizabeth being exhausted by the chemistry in her recipes. Nancy thinks it is Elizabeth’s way of enforcing time that women need to set aside time for themselves. Linda reconsidered and decided she liked Nancy’s interpretation better. Linda disabuses Nancy’s belief that Linda liked chemistry in high school. Linda says she only liked the math part of it, and maybe the cooking part of lab work. But, other than that, Linda didn’t like chemistry. She recalls failing the chemistry pre-test. Linda and Nancy discuss the meaning of the book’s title. Linda notes that the other characters are the ones who break into Elizabeth’s rigid life, eventually forming a group that, by the end of the novel, she describes as her family. Nancy’s favorite character was Mrs. Frask because of her unexpected change by the end of the book. Linny really liked Elizabeth’s daughter, Mad, and the dog, Six-Thirty. Nancy liked how many of the characters may be seen as failures, but who eventually find joy. Nancy loved that this book is a debut novel by Bonnie Garmus who is in her 60s. Linny says there are so many things still open to us in our later years.