Bonnie Garmus follows Lessons in Chemistry with Peck & Peck, a novel set inside an eccentric New York poetry magazine. Its young protagonist, Batter Gray, wants a literary life despite his parents’ preference for a more secure career.
An unexpected job offers entry to the prestigious publication, but initially leaves him making copies in the basement. He soon becomes involved in a bitter conflict between its two editors-in-chief, who are also twins.
The Guardian’s review highlights the offbeat characters and sharp humour while comparing the new novel with the anger that powered Garmus’s debut. The magazine’s dysfunction is fictional, providing a different arena for the writer’s interest in ambition, institutions and people resisting the roles assigned to them.
