LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

“- My name is Elizabeth Zott, and this is SUPPER AT SIX.”

Hands on her hips, her lips outlined in Brick Red, her thick hair pulled back in a simple French twist secured with a number-two pencil, Elizabeth leveled her gaze and looked directly into the camera.

– “Exciting news,” she said. “Today we’re going to study three different types of chemical bonds: ionic, covalent, and hydrogen.
Why learn these bonds? Because when you do you will grasp the very foundation of life.
Plus, your cakes will rise.”

From homes all over Southern California, women pulled out paper and pencils.

– “Ionic is the ‘opposites attract’ chemical bond,” Elizabeth explained as she emerged from behind the counter and began to sketch on an easel. “For instance, let’s say you wrote your PhD thesis on free market economics, but your husband rotates tires for a living. You love each other, but he’s probably not interested in hearing about the invisible hand. The point is, you and your husband are completely different and yet you still have a strong connection. That’s fine. It’s also ionic.”

– “Or perhaps your marriage is more of a covalent bond,” she said, sketching a new structural formula. “And if so, lucky you, because that means you both have strengths that, when combined, create something even better. For example, when hydrogen and oxygen combine, what do we get? Water — or H2O as it’s more commonly known. In many respects, the covalent bond is not unlike a party — one that’s made better thanks to the pie you made and the wine he brought.”

– “That brings us to the third bond,” Elizabeth said, pointing at another set of molecules, “the hydrogen bond — the most fragile, delicate bond of all. I call this the ‘love at first sight’ bond because both parties are drawn to each other based solely on visual information: you like his smile, he likes your hair. But then you talk and discover he’s a closet Nazi and thinks women complain too much. Poof. Just like that the delicate bond is broken. That’s the hydrogen bond for you, ladies — a chemical reminder that if things seem too good to be true, they probably are.”

She walked back behind the counter and, exchanging the marker for a knife, took a Paul Bunyan swing at a large yellow onion, cleaving it in two.

– “It’s chicken pot pie night,” she announced. “Let’s get started.”

Kindle, 2022

P.S. I loved Elizabeth Zott and I learned a lot from her.