Why did I love this book?
While this novel isn’t about rowing, it includes rowing.
The rowing scenes add an interesting dimension to the relationship between the two main characters, who are both chemists. Rowing for them is more than a form of exercise; it draws them closer together and helps them deal with stress and grief. Rowing becomes a key connection between the main characters, especially after one of them dies.
As someone who has used rowing to recover from alcohol, process my mother’s death, and work through various life stressors, this book resonated.
75 authors picked Lessons in Chemistry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads
"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…