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Lessons in Chemistry

Written by: Bonnie Garmus
Narrated by: Miranda Raison,Bonnie Garmus,Pandora Sykes
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Publisher's Summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • 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.

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.

©2022 Bonnie Garmus (P)2022 Random House Audio

What the critics say

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • ONE OF NPR’s BEST BOOKS OF 2022 • ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR—New York Times, Bustle, Real Simple, Parade, CNN, Today, E! News, Library Journal

“In Garmus’s debut novel, a frustrated chemist finds herself at the helm of a cooking show that sparks a revolution. Welcome to the 1960s, where a woman’s arsenal of tools was often limited to the kitchen—and where Elizabeth Zott is hellbent on overturning the status quo one meal at a time.” —New York Times 

"Strikingly relevant...Darkly funny and poignant...Lessons in Chemistry’s excellent experiment [is] quirky and heartwarming." —The Atlantic 

"[Garmus] delivers an assured voice, an indelible heroine and relatable love stories...At the center of the novel is Elizabeth Zott, a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention...Elizabeth is a feminist and modern thinker […] in a world nowhere ready for her mind, character or ambition...[Garmus] charm[s]. She’s created an indelible assemblage of stubborn, idiosyncratic characters. She’s given us a comic novel at precisely the moment we crave one.” —Washington Post

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What listeners say about Lessons in Chemistry

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  • A
  • 2022-07-19

Women in STEM and entertaining!

I often use fiction to rest my “science” brain but this tickled all hemispheres. Loved it.

2 people found this helpful

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Long Winded

Long winded story about sexism etc and predictable ending. Simplistic view of -isms. Boring don’t recommend it

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  • LW
  • 2023-04-05

Very boring

Great broader messages about sexism etc but brutally boring. None of the characters or their stories drew me in.

1 person found this helpful

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A clever, important, and heart-warming light read

Wonderful characters (6:30!), excellent narration,, and the bonus interview is a thought-provoking treat. Enjoy!

1 person found this helpful

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Amazing

First book in a long time that had me completely obsessed. Thoroughly enjoyable, but also significant in message. Highly recommend!

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  • Biz
  • 2022-06-20

Great story!

As a woman raised in the 1950s and 1960s, I can relate to Elizabeth's refusal to be put down and forced to pursue a career that was not a teacher, nurse or secretary. I loved this book and I loved Elizabeth's spirit. Unfortunately the world seems to be regressing when it comes to women's rights so this is a very timely book.
Generally the narration was good except for the pronunciation of Madeline's name. In the interview with the author, I realized that the narrator was pronouncing it wrong.

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I need more Elizabeth Zott!

I loved this book so much I didn’t want it to end. Even though it was set 60 years ago, many themes still ring so true today.

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Excellent read for a Widowed parent

As a widowed parent this book truly resonated with me. I feel all the things EZ feels, missing her person

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Enjoyable

Little quirks that kept thing’s interesting. I love Mad and E. The trails of tractional family and gender roles, with a mix of science and splash of love.

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Can't recommend enough!

This story was perfect - the characters, thought-provoking subject, eye-opening and entertaining. excellent narration

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  • Bun-Bun Baxter
  • 2022-04-19

Baby boomer editor needed....desperately!

Cringed every time Jack LaLanne's name was mispronounced. Scientific mispronunciations are less obvious. "PROOFLISTEN!".

239 people found this helpful

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  • Teresa H.
  • 2022-04-07

Making my 3 adult daughters read this

To say I liked this book is too tame. I absolutely loved it. Normally, I only read murder mysteries, but my oldest daughter heard about this and thought I would enjoy it as a break from death and darkness. She was so right! Not saying this doesn’t have darkness in it, but I found myself hoping things would go a certain way, then wishing I would’ve thought the way the author did! The darkness wasn’t devastating. IMO

I was worried I wouldn’t like the technical side, but it made me feel encouraged that I could understand and even relate. Elizabeth reminded me a little of Beth Harmon in The Queens Gambit.

Bonus was 6:30, the dog. You just have to read this to get see what I mean. It kept me engaged to the very end.

92 people found this helpful

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  • Deborah L. Walker
  • 2022-04-14

PERFECTION!

I've listened to many hundreds of Audible books over the years and a fair number have been loved deeply. However I have NEVER felt compelled to write a review until now. I didn't know what to expect from this story - but what I got was perfection. Perfect reader, perfect characters, perfect story. Did I say it is perfect? I couldn't stop listening. Strong women, science, a dog, a kid, challenging/believably unbelievable circumstances. I gasped, I cringed, I laughed out loud, I took deep breaths, I pondered wise words... What a ride! I seldom listen to a book twice...this one I will. And I'll be buying the hardcover to have and to hold. I can't wait for the next Bonnie Garmus creation!

83 people found this helpful

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  • TX Amazon Shopper
  • 2022-04-29

Science vs Religion


It's an entertaining piece. Enjoyable listen on my commute.

I wish the science examples had been better researched. Rosalind Franklin worked in this period and was never mentioned. Readers please educate yourself of her and several others. Other real people are mentioned in the book so why female scientists were omitted is troubling. Those are my heroes and I have a PhD in a related area.

The abiogenesis concept mentioned as Elizabeth's main work is really 'primordial soup' (research in 1929 decades earlier), a term that could have surfaced in Supper at Six. But I guess the author didn't want Elizabeth to plagiarize too much.

The author has firm biases against religion and faith and showcases the scientific method as an alternative way to view the world. It's not such a black and white case in reality. There are many females in STEM who are successful -- using the scientific method daily for evidence based decision making -- and a few even have faith. And they are not hideous evil judgemental people. At least I don't think so.

Do your own unbiased research and make your own decisions.

73 people found this helpful

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  • Barbie Olsen
  • 2022-04-27

A would that I had lived my life more like this.

A delight to listen to. I am 82 and cannot go back and relive my ml life but if I could, this novel would be a guide. Delicious, and thought provoming. was smart enough to reach HS chemistry but not BOLD enough to teach even higher.

63 people found this helpful

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  • vivian Hill
  • 2022-04-08

WOW

This is truly one of those books that I will listen to again and probably buy in print too. The characters are people I can’t get enough of. So much truth and relevance. Thank you Bonnie Garmus. The narrator was perfect.

34 people found this helpful

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  • KBoat
  • 2022-05-17

Good Premise But...

The premise for this book was good, and the author has real promise, but I found it could have used about two more rewrites before publishing...and I didn't find anything funny at all.

As a previous listener noted, it was like they took a person with today's ideals and plopped her into the 50's and 60's. That is exactly what I was thinking through the story.

I didn't find anything "laugh out loud" funny in any of it.

All in all, the author has real potential with more help from editors, and please listen to the book before release. The mispronunciations were jarring. This will be going back.

27 people found this helpful

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  • Cwolf
  • 2022-09-09

Can’t believe this is a best seller

Any book that feels the need to narrate from a dog’s point of view is a waste of time, even in fiction. So unnecessary to have imbued this dog with human perspectives. The dog also supposedly navigates a route he’s never taken, fakes a heat stroke to gain entrance to a building. Ridiculous. it wasn’t supposed to be fantasy.

The main character is unnecessarily over the top as well. The author ruined her own story.

The fact that no producer or editor caught the performers hatchet job on Jack Lalane’s name was beyond inexcusable and a distraction as it was repeated at least 20 times in the book.

24 people found this helpful

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  • Happy Holly
  • 2022-09-15

Interesting but I didn’t enjoy all the preaching

Elizabeth seems to use most of the book to preach and tell women how they should be. It’s obvious the author had a thing about religion because Elizabeth seem to slam religion and her criticism about religion was so false; she stated that religious people only believe because they wanted to say nothing was their fault? I wonder if she’s ever been in a church. Also she had all religious people painted as disingenuous and the bishop actually lied and kept the mother from finding her son. I love the dog I love Harriet. Also, where does she get the idea that all women were depressed in the 50s and 60s. I think they’re worse off now. Let me get my soapbox. I’m happy that some people love this book but I did not. Our book club discussion is this Saturday about the book and I know they’re gonna kick me out of the club. This is happened to me before

21 people found this helpful

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  • Ann L
  • 2022-05-28

don't get the rave reviews

About 9 chapters in, I couldn't take any more. The characters are wooden. And enough about rowing!

20 people found this helpful