Lessons in Chemistry: The multi-million-copy bestseller

by Bonnie Garmus

Miranda Raison (Narrator)

Brought to you by Penguin.

INCLUDES AN EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH PANDORA SYKES

Your ability to change everything - including yourself - starts here

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing.

But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality. Forced to resign, she reluctantly signs on as the host of a cooking show, Supper at Six. But her revolutionary approach to cooking, fuelled by scientific and rational commentary, grabs the attention of a nation.

Soon, a legion of overlooked housewives find themselves daring to change the status quo. One molecule at a time.

‘Laugh-out-loud funny and brimming with life, generosity and courage’ RACHEL JOYCE

'A novel that sparks joy with every page' ELIZABETH DAY

'I loved Lessons in Chemistry and am devastated to have finished it!' NIGELLA LAWSON

© Bonnie Garmus 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

• ISBN10: 1473596467
• ISBN13: 9781473596467
• Publish Date: 5 April 2022 (first published 29 March 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Transworld Digital
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (WAV)
• Duration: 11 hours and 57 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

This book took me completely by surprise. I was reluctant to read it because everyone I encountered raved about it and I've been burned in the past by bestselling books that everyone loves. Well, long story short, I loved Lessons in Chemistry.

As someone with a non-traditional life, I immediately identified with Elizabeth and her struggles just to do her job. I loved how she had a no-nonsense approach to life and the people that gravitated toward her and befriended her. I'll admit the POV of the dog was a little strange, but overall I loved this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Quirky Cat]

I wish I was in charge of handing out book awards because I would certainly give one to Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This novel is delightful and hits so close to home, showcasing a world not that far from our past.

Elizabeth Zott is not ordinary. She's not even average. All her life, she's had a dream – to become a chemist. Yet, in the 1960s, there was little to no upward movement for women in chemistry or any of the sciences.

Zott intended she could change that. She hoped her cooking show, Supper at Six, would make science more approachable to young women and young girls. After all, what is cooking but another type of science?

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

Lessons in Chemistry is undoubtedly one of the wittiest books I've read all year. It is full to the brim of charm, characters, and poignant observations. I think that's at least part of why this book hits so hard – it knows how to burrow right into the reader's heart (it turns out you just had to go through the funny bone, who'd have thought?).

But seriously, Lessons in Chemistry was an absolute delight to read. Word cannot express how much I enjoyed this read. It successfully elicited a plethora of emotions from me. One moment I was fuming in rage at the treatment of women in science. The next moment Elizabeth had me cracking up. This sort of balance made the whole story more...dare I say palatable.

Lessons in Chemistry tackled some very serious subjects, especially for the time. In truth, I feel many of these points are still relevant now, in different ways. If you're looking for a book that'll start a conversation, I can guarantee that Lessons in Chemistry will do just that.

I say this a lot, but I do hope that we'll see an adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry. I'd love to see more people enjoying this story in whatever format they felt most comfortable with. Plus, I'd love to see who they'd cast for Elizabeth Zott.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks