See the first look at Lessons in Chemistry, the blockbuster novel optioned by Brie Larson

Bonnie Garmus has held the title of copywriter, creative director, open-water swimmer, and mother, and now she's set to be one of spring 2022's biggest debut authors. Her upcoming novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was sold as part of a record-breaking auction, will be published in over 34 countries, and is on its way to becoming an Apple TV+ series starring (and executive produced by) Captain Marvel star Brie Larson.

Before it hits shelves on April 5, EW has exclusive details on the book — which publisher Doubleday is pitching as a mix of Julia Child, The World According to Garp, and The Big Bang Theory — starting with a first look at the cover.

Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott, a scientist-turned cooking star who will be played by Larson in the onscreen version. Below, see the official synopsis.

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ("combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride") proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo.

"With Elizabeth Zott, I wanted to create a character who speaks for anyone who's been held back, disbelieved, maligned, or underestimated," Garmus tells EW. "But I also wanted to create a character who refuses to put up with it. I love the way the book cover conveys her permanent state of fed-up-ness while hinting at the humor within."

Lessons in Chemistry will hit shelves on April 5, 2022, and is available for preorder now.

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