PBS Books Readers Club welcomes international best-selling author Bonnie Garmus to discuss her novel Lessons in Chemistry. The episode premieres on July 30th at 8PM ET on Facebook, YouTube, and the PBS App.
Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant young chemist who struggles to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of the 1950s. She forms a deep connection with her colleague and renowned chemist, Calvin Evans. But like science, life is unpredictable, and Zott unexpectedly finds herself a single mother, reluctantly hosting a cooking show—Supper at Six. While the show appears to be about cooking, Zott uses it as a platform to teach housewives not just about chemistry, but also to value their time and self-worth, ultimately becoming an unexpected feminist icon.
Lessons in Chemistry is a mix of humor, social commentary, and heart, exploring themes like feminism, scientific passion, and the struggle for respect in the workplace. It’s a unique and thought-provoking story that combines wit with deeper reflections on women’s roles in both science and society.
PBS Watch-Alike: The Great American Recipe
This friendly cooking competition follows home cooks from all around the country. Celebrating America’s rich culture through cuisine, this show emphasizes how food helps to shape our heritage, identity, and community. Season 4 of The Great American Recipe premieres July 11 on PBS.
 About the Author
Bonnie Garmus
 About the Hosts
Princess Weekes
Princess Weekes is an award winning writer and video essayist who works at breaking down the intersections between race, gender, and pop culture. Formally an Assistant Editor at The Mary Sue, co-host of Netflix’s The Geeked Podcast, and co-host and co-writer on the PBS Digital Series It’s Lit. On weekends she works as a bookseller at a local bookstore. When not reading or writing she can be found playing TTRPGs of cuddling with her cat, Lola.
Lauren Smith
Executive Producer and host of national PBS programming at Detroit PBS, Lauren develops content for PBS and other distributors of public media for broadcast, streaming, and other digital channels and has executive-produced and/or produced over 60 national broadcast and programs. Her passion is to develop inspiring, entertaining, and educational content alongside the best national and international talent, and to engage important content with communities across the country. Lauren loves to read and has worked to develop and produce PBS Books content for nearly ten years!
