I was absolutely long overdue in reading this book but I'm glad I did because Eleanor Zott, the main character, has to be one of my favorite main characters of all time. My hesitancy in reading books like this is that the hype far outpaces how good the book actually is - but that wasn't the case here. It was every bit as good as the hype.
Eleanor Zott is a chemist but in the 50's this is seemingly impossible for a woman. In her PhD program, Zott is brutally blocked from getting her degree, even though she's infinitely smarter than the men in that program. As a result, she becomes a lab tech that is often mistaken for a secretary. That doesn't stop her - she's smart, determined and a tad oblivious which leads her to meeting a brilliant scientist that works in the same lab, leading to a life that is unusual and brilliant.
I really loved Garmus' writing style - it was easy and moving and free wheeling and led to the pages just turning on their own. The characters, including a dog named six-thirty - were memorable. I loved the feminist aspects and the magical realism (the dog actually is a POV character). I also really enjoyed the novel's take on female-female friendships. The book really drove home that women can really move forward in all aspects of life if we support each other instead of looking at each other as competition and tearing each other down. This really came through in this novel.
Very much recommend.
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