Bonnie Garmus - ‘Adoption Gave Us A Family’

Bonnie Garmus was 64 when her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was published. It went on to sell more than eight million copies, spend almost two years on the New York Times bestseller list, was translated into more than 40 languages and become an eight-part Apple TV+ series. At its centre was Elizabeth Zott, a fiercely intelligent, forthright chemist turned 1950s TV cooking star.

Bonnie and I talk about the misogyny that inspired Lessons in Chemistry, her love of dogs, working through a stutter, adopting her two daughters from China and what it took to overcome years of rejection.

Her new novel, Peck & Peck, is out in the UK on 13 October.

IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

03:41 Arts Versus Science

05:44 Sexism Sparks Novel

08:58 Greed And AI Warning

12:19 Dogs Behind Characters

16:30 Childhood Failures

30:26 Living With A Stutter

31:50 Letters And Workarounds

32:53 Adoption Journey To China

36:10 What Adoption Really Means

37:23 Family Bonds And Fate

39:17 Jeopardy Husband Spotlight

40:10 98 Rejections And Resilience

47:05 Finding An Agent And Writing Life

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

I’ve had a lot of dogs in my life, and not a single one has disappointed me.

I never look back on my career and think I have regrets.

I had a therapist who was a stutterer… he gave me the courage to embrace it, and then I got better.

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Bonnie’s new novel Peck & Peck is available to pre-order now: www.waterstones.com/book/peck-and-peck/bonnie-garmus/9781786588975

Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com

📚 WANT MORE?

Alain De Botton - swap.fm/l/dnU4ieYPW7eCbesQFNSf

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - swap.fm/l/YiA3DPR1awzdCrHfEMfPv

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Website: www.elizabethday.org

Elizabeth and Bonnie answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: lnk.to/7i0moR

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Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan

Engineer: Matias Torres

Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson

Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Alex Lawless

How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

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