Inside the Book: Bonnie Garmus (LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY)

Author Bonnie Garmus discusses her instant-hit novel LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, her ground-breaking characters, and her family’s influence on the story. Get the book: About LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY “It’s the world versus Elizabeth Zott, an extraordinary woman determined to live on her own terms, and I had no trouble choosing a side.” —Maggie Shipstead, best-selling author of Great Circle 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. Sign up for the Penguin Random House newsletter to get more videos like this and tailored book recommendations: Subscribe to PRH: PRH on Facebook: PRH on Twitter: PRH on Tumblr: PRH on Instagram: PRH on Pinterest: TAGS #LessonsInChemistry #BonnieGarmus