Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry (12 hours) is a funny, fearlessly feminist historical novel about chemist Elizabeth Zott, a woman who is thoroughly unmoved by the repressive standards of her time.
It’s the early 1960s, and Elizabeth becomes an accidental television sensation as the host of her own cooking show, despite being an unapologetic unwed mother, atheist and (gasp!) scientist. The extraordinary journey of this unconventional and utterly inspiring protagonist is narrated in suitably no-nonsense fashion by Miranda Raison, whose crisp delivery mirrors Elizabeth’s prioritization of rationality over emotion.
Fans who fall for Garmus’ delightful novel will want to stick around for the lively interview with the author, conducted by writer and podcaster Pandora Sykes.
