Hey, welcome back to the show.
Our next guest is the author of a
novel that's getting a lot of buzz.
Bonnie Garment's lessons in chemistry
focuses on a woman who becomes
the host of a TV cooking show.
Bonnie joins us now.
Good morning, good morning.
Thanks for having me.
We are so delighted to talk about this book,
but first you used to live in Seattle.
Yeah, so how has Seattle kind of the
Emerald City I should say impacted you.
Well, I love Seattle.
We still have a House here,
but it's impacted me in a lot of ways.
I learn to row here and rowing.
It was featured in the book,
So I Love Seattle.
It's great to be back.
We are so glad to have you.
She is going back to
London soon so we got you.
Now let's talk about the new novel.
It's getting a lot of buzz.
What do people love about it so much?
I think the main character Elizabeth
Zott resonates with a lot of people,
including men, because she is somebody
who stands up for what she thinks,
and I think most women have a little
bit of Elizabeth Scott in them.
So when people read it,
they say, hmm, that's kind of it.
Feels the way I feel
I. I love that.
So your main character through
life's experiences and challenges.
She ends up getting a
job at a TV cooking show.
What in the world made you
come up with that idea?
Ohh my gosh, well I knew that
she was a chemist and to me the
only logical way she could be on
television would be to teach cooking.
Because cooking really is chemistry
so that that part made sense to me.
I think that's so fascinating.
The story is is really also dealing
with kind of other nuanced issues.
Of women and and some of the
expectations of them back in the 1960s.
Yes, the fact is is she didn't she
lose her job for a very what we would
see now is a completely ridiculous
and and like unlawful reason,
exactly back then I didn't.
I didn't know this at the time,
but back then women could not hold a
job and be pregnant at the same time.
And she was also unwed, so she was
scandalous and she was fired for it.
Unreal how? What kind of research did you?
Did you? Put into kind of figuring out
the way that life was in the 1960s for a
woman who would be in the science field.
Well, for me, I you know,
this is when my mom was a mom
so I could kind of remember as
a small child what it was like,
but I didn't really know until I did
research that my mother could not write
a check unless my father cosigned it.
Women back then had no legal
right to their husband's paycheck.
They were often not included
on the deed of the House.
And of course, like we just discussed,
you could not be pregnant and hold a job.
So when I did the research you
realize what kind of limits those
incredible women lived under and
how often they were dismissed
as just average housewives.
Unbelievable, and our heroine.
In this she is not married
at the time as you mentioned,
is that something that becomes
a problem in her television
career as well? Oh absolutely,
you know, she's suspect,
because how can you not be married?
How can you have a child?
How can you do all of these
things and be on television
and be a woman in the world?
You must have a man by your side.
Well, I actually love.
I've heard that the story's been
optioned for Brie Larson and Apple TV.
I love Brie Larson.
She's I mean, Captain America.
How do you not love Captain America?
What are your thoughts on that?
Ohh, I'm so excited. I mean,
they're they're well into production.
They're starting to shoot this July,
and this is already the train is rolling.
The train is the train has left the station.
OK, so they're casting the dog right now.
And yeah, very important character.
So no, it's extremely exciting
to have Brie attached to this.
How does this work? When you write
a book who writes the screenplay?
The screenplay is being written
by the woman who wrote Erin
Brockovich Susanna Grant,
but also Hannah Fidell has just come on.
So I'm very excited.
And then there's also a writers room.
I'm not doing much of the
writing on the series.
I have a lot of other things to do,
so I'm super excited for this
and for the team I'm working with
that is excited.
Do you know when it will?
I know it's already gonna
be starting to film,
but do you know we can start to
expect to see it on Apple TV?
Yes, next summer summer, you know,
maybe July August, COVID willing.
Conveyed my goodness, ohh well,
you'll have to come back
from London to visit us.
OK, what is next for you?
You mentioned you were doing
a lot of other things.
Yeah, I'm well. I'm writing another
book and so that's taking up quite
a bit of time, but mostly right
now I'm doing promotion for this.
So yeah, pretty busy right now
so I know I am a huge fan of a series.
I know writers probably hate
hearing this, but what about this?
Do you think this could ever
continue that we see what
happens next in Elizabeth's life?
Well, that has certainly been
discussed a lot lately. We'll just
wait and see on that. Just wait
and see. Yeah, I love it.
Any advice before I let you
go on folks who you know are
have a novel in their head and
they're just kicking it around.
What they're advice?
Would you have for someone?
Sit down and write it?
Sit down and write it
and don't worry about the critics
sitting on your shoulder.
Just sit down and write it.
Bonnie. Thank you so much
for sharing this book with
us for sharing your advice.
It has been a pleasure chatting with you.
I cannot wait to read this.
Thank you so much.
Thanks for having me absolutely alright.