Bonnie Garmus author of Lessons In Chemistry

The Merry Menopause Bookclub

November 9, 2022 ∙ 31 mins
Episode 33

About

What better way to finish off season six of The Merry Menopause Bookclub Podcast than with Bonnie Garmus author of The Sunday Times No 1 Bestseller “Lessons in Chemistry”

Bonnie and I connected on Instagram where I was raving about Lessons in Chemistry, It is one of my favourite  reads this year so far and I was delighted Bonnie said yes to being my guest.

Lessons In Chemistry is about a woman named Elizabeth Zott, a fictional chemist in late 50s early 60s America. She gets fired from her research job for the crime of being unwed and pregnant and as things get a little tight money wise she accepts a job as a TV cooking show host. Most of us would consider it a job to kill for, but Elizabeth Zott doesn't want the job at all. So instead of teaching straight-up cooking, she ends up teaching the nation chemistry - because cooking is chemistry. And as she does so she ends up teaching women what they are made of at a molecular level and she ends up changing a nation because of it.

Join us as we discuss:- 

  • Sexual assault in the workplace - 1:6 American women experience it.
  • How the character of Elizabeth Zott came into being.
  • How a bad day at work inspired Bonnie to write the first chapter of Lessons in Chemistry.
  • Bonnie dedicates the book to her incredible mum and I find out why.
  • How the ‘The Average Housewives” of the 50s raised a generation of feminists.
  • Why Elizabeth Zott is a role model for Bonnie and the joy of creating and writing her. 
  • Elizabeth Zott’s rich backstory - depression and loneliness.
  • How so many men are totally unaware of the misogyny and sexual assault that happens in the workplace.
  • How can we make sure we have allies in men at work and at home.
  • The awareness of women’s rights issues that Lessons in Chemistry has raised amongst its male readers.
  • A sneak preview of Bonnie’s next book!

Bonnie’s Book Choices:-

The Anthropocene - John Green

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce

Find out more about Bonnie and her work here

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Information

Podcast

The Merry Menopause Bookclub

Episode

33

Date

November 9, 2022

Length

31 mins
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The Merry Menopause Bookclub

Welcome to The Merry Menopause Bookclub podcast, I’m your host, Jo Fuller ACTP Accredited Coach specialising in Menopause. I created this podcast to explore the many facets of Menopause through literature and conversation.Each episode, I’ll be discussing a book that resonates with our midlife experience, delving into the physical, emotional and social aspects of this […]

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