Goodman will share her life experiences and insights from growing up with a mother who began her career as a chemist in the 1960s.
The “One City One Book” event in Hamilton will feature the New York Times bestselling novel “Lessons in Chemistry.”
The initiative, founded by Niki Motley, Honi Cohen and Karen Whalen and supported by the Lane Public Library, seeks to have everyone read the book and attend events throughout October. The books are free at several local businesses, such as Petals & Wicks and Sara’s House, and there are plenty of books at Hamilton Lane Library on North Third Street.
The Hamilton initiative is similar to The Big Read, which was founded by the National Endowment for the Arts nearly a decade ago, but Motley said Hamilton wasn’t ready for a communitywide reading event in the mid-2000s.
Lessons in Chemistry, published in 2022, is about chemist Elizabeth Zott, who in the early 1960s wants to be a chemist but is not taken seriously by all but one of her male colleagues at a research institute. Years later, Elizabeth is now a single mother and the reluctant star of a beloved cooking show, “Supper at Six,” which features Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking and is revolutionary. Not everyone is happy as she grows in popularity because she’s not just teaching women to cook but “daring them to change the status quo.”
For locations and updates on the events, visit the One City One Book Hamilton Facebook page at facebook.com/OneCityOneBookHamilton.
ONE CITY ONE BOOK HAMILTON EVENTS
TODAY: Celebrating Women in Science at 6:30 p.m. at the Miami University Hamilton Downtown Center: Laura Jackson Goodman, the principal scientist and Director of Scientific Communications for P&G, will share life experiences and insights from growing up with a mother who began her career as a chemist in the 1960s.
Oct. 10: 4 Paws for Ability, Changing Lives One Service Dog at a Time at 6:30 p.m. at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts: Learn about the life of a 4 Paws dog from birth to placement with a client, the history of the organization, how to volunteer, and how these dogs are changing the lives of people with disabilities.
Oct. 18: Samples at Six Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Hamilton Lane Library: Anyone 18 and older is invited for an evening of cooking tips and demonstrations with Librarian/Chef Amy, and a tasting of recipes from Lessons in Chemistry.
Oct. 24: The Lane Libraries Present an Evening with Bonnie Garmus from 7 to 9 p.m. at Parrish Auditorium at Miami University Hamilton: New York Times bestselling author Bonnie Garmus discusses her novel, Lessons in Chemistry with the final One City One Book event, which includes a book signing
PREVIOUS ONE CITY ONE BOOK READS
Here are the previous books in the One City One Book initiative:
2017: “Hidden Figures” by Margo Lee Shetterly
2018: “Station 11″ by Emily St. John Mandel
2019: “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown
2020: Did not hold due to COVID
2021: “Phone Booth at the Edge of the World” by Laura Imai Messina
2022: “Daughters of Yalta” by Catherine Grace Katz
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