Sharp…sets a bittersweet love story within the cut-throat world of academic research, a great pairing [Rothman] explores with heart [and] smarts. – Publishers Weekly (starred review). Ambitious young scientist, Emily Apell, arrives in Justin McKinnon’s famous research laboratory in New York with the goal of making a breakthrough discovery in her field. But a colleague in the lab, Aeden Doherty, has been working on a similar topic, and his findings threaten to compete with her research. To Emily’s surprise, her rational mind is unsettled by Aeden, and when they end up working together their animosity turns to physical passion, followed by love. Emily eventually allows herself to envision a future with Aeden, but when he decides to leave the lab it becomes clear to her that she must make a choice: stay in the lab to pursue her research, or follow her heart. It is only years later, when she is about to receive a prestigious award for the work they did together, that Emily is able to reflect upon the choice that she made and to unravel everything that happened between her and Aeden. “Refreshing…Asks urgent questions about female ambition. Fans of Lab Girl have found a worthy successor.” — Real Simple
About the Author: Andrea Rothman
Andrea Rothman was born in Brooklyn, New York, to an American father and a Venezuelan mother. She was raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and majored in biology from Universidad Central de Venezuela. While studying biology, she wrote fiction. Her first short stories, written in her native spanish, were published by Fundacion Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos Romulo Gallegos, in 1989. Andrea left Venezuela in 1992 and eventually settled in New York City, where she worked as a research scientist at the Rockefeller University and was awarded two grants from the National Institutes of Health to study the sense of smell. With the birth of her first two children (boy and girl twins) Andrea left her career in science to devote herself to her family and to write fiction—her lifelong passion. Her first novel, THE DNA OF YOU AND ME, was published in March of 2019 by William Morrow, HarperCollins. Her short stories and essays can be found on her website: www.andrearothman.com Andrea holds a Masters degree in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and worked as a fiction editor for the journal Hunger Mountain. She lives with her husband and two children in Long Island, New York, and is at work on her second book.
QUOTES: Kimmery Martin, author of The Queen of Hearts "A gorgeous novel exploring the intersection of love and science." Leah Kaminsky, author of The Waiting Room “Rothman’s debut novel is a fierce and eloquent exploration of what it is to be a woman working in STEM—a scientist in the cutthroat world of cutting-edge research and academia. It invites us into the heart and mind of Emily—a character we grow to respect and admire who is faced with the messy business of a budding romance with a colleague in the laboratory where she works. Should she allow herself to put all she holds dear at risk, or should she smell a (lab) rat? This one's a powerful literary page-turner.” Real Simple Magazine "Best Books of 2019 (So Far)" “Rothman's refreshing novel asks urgent questions about female ambition. Fans of Lab Girl have found a worthy successor.” Mind Body Green "Well Read: 5 books You Won't Be Able To Put Down This March" “Emily suffered from allergies that made it hard for her to go outside as a child; instead, she immersed herself in science, a path that led to her adult career trying to figure out the genes responsible for our sense of smell. The book gets points for a solid portrayal of a woman unapologetically succeeding in the male-dominated STEM industry, and the emotional resonance of Emily's lonely childhood will strike anyone who has experienced limiting ailments. And—yes—there's a love story, and it's a good one. A fun, well-written debut.” // REVIEWS: Library Journal (Starred) Review “Rothman’s first novel is a powerful one. Great for readers who would enjoy a surprisingly literary love story set against the clinical, sterile, and cutthroat environment of an academic research lab.” (full review at libraryjournal.com) Publisher's Weekly (Starred) Review “[A] sharp debut from Rothman sets a bittersweet love story within the cut-throat world of academic research, a great pairing she explores with heart, smarts, and a lot of furtive sex. Rothman’s aching study of loneliness, heartbreak and forgiveness that resonate.” (full review link: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-285781-1) Kirkus Review “A vivid sense of place and a well-paced, intelligently constructed story. The pleasure of this novel lies in Rothman's sincere, straightforward, unpretentious prose wracked with the loneliness of young love.” (full review link: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/andrea-rothman/the-dna-of-you-and-me/) BookPage Review “With crisp descriptions and keen observations, author and neuroscientist Rothman creates a realistic picture of the life of a scientific researcher…fresh and intelligent.” (full review link: https://bookpage.com/reviews/23762-andrea-rothman-dna-you-me-fiction#.XPgrXS_Myqk)
