The latest installment of “Women’s Work: Lessons in Chemistry,” gathered alumni, students, and readers for a vibrant conversation on Bonnie Garmus’s bestselling novel. Hosted by Notre Dame professor Chris Hedlin and co-hosted by junior Grace Lynch, the discussion mixed literary insight, personal reflection, and community dialogue into a session that felt as thoughtful as it was approachable.
Introducing the Hosts
Chris Hedlin opened by situating the event within his work at the Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society. With a background in English and 19th-century literary studies, he framed fiction as a space for both social commentary and personal discernment. He also brought warmth and relatability, noting the parallels between his role as a professor and as a parent.
Co-host Grace Lynch—a political science major with minors in public service and poverty studies—offered the student voice. She reflected on her experience in Hedlin’s “Women’s Work” course, especially how it encouraged students to conduct informational interviews and transform them into poetry. Her comments set the tone for an evening grounded in listening, interpretation, and story-sharing.
Community and Conversation
From the start, the event leaned into connection. Hedlin invited attendees to share graduation years, locations, and reflections in the chat, creating a room that felt as live as it was virtual. Rather than delivering a lecture, Hedlin built the conversation around questions submitted by alumni, students, and book club members. The result was more dialogue than download—an event shaped by the people in it.
Realism, Romance, and Believability
A common question—about whether Elizabeth Zott’s rise to fame stretched credibility—prompted a nuanced discussion. Hedlin framed the novel’s mix of realism and romance as a deliberate literary strategy. Lessons in Chemistry doesn’t always aim for strict realism; instead, it embraces improbable turns that feel earned in emotional or thematic terms. As he explained, sometimes fiction plays with exaggeration to tell a deeper truth.
Narrative Voice and Humor
Humor emerged as another defining feature of the novel. Hedlin pointed to the sly, omniscient narrator—witty, sharp, often warmer than Elizabeth herself—as a force that adds levity without undermining the story’s emotional weight. He also addressed the common mistake of collapsing character, narrator, and author—a distinction blurred even further in visual adaptations.
Friendship, Endings, and Adaptation
Audience members asked about the novel’s ending and the use of the “mysterious benefactor” trope. Initially skeptical, Hedlin came to appreciate this Dickensian gesture as a kind of wish fulfillment. If fiction can’t deliver justice, what can?
The discussion also spotlighted the novel’s friendships, especially the evolution of Frask and Harriet. Frask begins as antagonistic but grows into an ally, while Harriet and Elizabeth offer each other mutual strength and shelter. The Apple TV adaptation earned praise for deepening Harriet’s role and weaving in explicit civil rights themes—additions that made the story feel broader without losing focus.
Fiction as Serious Play
Is the book “just entertainment”? Hedlin used that question to reframe the whole conversation. Like many works by and about women, Lessons in Chemistry has been labeled lightweight—even when it engages serious themes like sexism, science, grief, and motherhood. Hedlin argued that literature can be both accessible and important—and that taking women’s fiction seriously is itself a meaningful act.
Religion, Relationships, and Representation
The novel’s treatment of religion sparked mixed reactions. While some appreciated its critique of hypocrisy, others found the portrayal of Catholic institutions lacking nuance. Hedlin hoped future novels might push for more textured religious characters and institutions.
On romance, the conversation explored the unconventional relationship between Elizabeth and Calvin—not as a distraction from Elizabeth’s development, but as a model of emotional equality. Drawing on the work of philosopher Kate Manne, Hedlin framed their dynamic as a departure from traditional gendered roles of “givers” and “needy.”
Reading as Collective Inquiry
More than anything, this episode modeled how reading together becomes a form of shared inquiry. As participants swapped ideas, challenged assumptions, and reflected on their own lives, the novel became more than a story—it became a lens. In Hedlin’s words, this is the heart of “Women’s Work”: using literature to ask not only what we believe, but how we live.
Conclusion
The evening ended with an open invitation: keep the conversation going. Whether in class, in book clubs, or over coffee, Lessons in Chemistry continues to prompt rich dialogue on work, gender, ambition, love, and belief. As this event made clear, stories like Garmus’s aren’t just something we read—they’re something we read through, together.
