Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Bonnie Garmus
Apr 2022 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Bonnie Garmus, Miranda Raison, and Pandora Sykes
4.7star
129 reviews
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11 hr 55 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
#1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN 6 MILLION COPIES SOLD • Meet Elizabeth Zott: “a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention” (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show. • STREAM ON APPLE TV+
This novel is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel” (The New York Times Book Review) and “witty, sometimes hilarious...the Catch-22 of early feminism” (Stephen King, via Twitter).
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek
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 as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.
Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.
This novel is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel” (The New York Times Book Review) and “witty, sometimes hilarious...the Catch-22 of early feminism” (Stephen King, via Twitter).
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek
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 as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.
Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.
Ratings and reviews
4.7
129 reviews
Brianne Walker
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July 14, 2023
I forgot what time period we were in until the end. I feel like the writer forgot as well and had to cram it in. The writer has such an agenda to magnify the oppression of women, that she belittled every man and traditional value to do it. I thought it was poor story telling to degrade everyone outside of her beliefs in order to elevate a narrow minded, proud, and selfish character that was hard to connect with, and I am a woman in the STEM world. Finding some connection with her shouldn't have been that difficult. I would not recommend this book due to the way the story seems forced and the characters are unrealistic and difficult to relate to.
Tammy C
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June 6, 2022
This book had me hooked right from the start. I enjoyed how I truly felt I was transported into the last 50’s early 60’s era and provided insight into how much women were still held back and not looked at as equals to men. Miranda Raison and Pandora Sykes were the perfect narrators for this book and Bonnie Garmus’ writing actually had me liking science, which was never a subject I ever enjoyed in the past.
Haylee Wethy
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April 10, 2024
This story was so well written and came together in unpredictable ways. if you like a strong woman and a journey that will hit every emotion, this book is for you.
About the author
BONNIE GARMUS is a copywriter and creative director who has worked widely in the fields of technology, medicine, and education. She’s an open-water swimmer, a rower, and mother to two pretty amazing daughters. Born in California and most recently from Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99.
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