Publishers Weekly
★ 03/04/2019
This sharp debut from Rothman, a former research associate at the Rockefeller University in New York, 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. The novel’s narrator, Emily, a bioinformatician—“a sort of Watson-and-Crick of the new millennium”—details her 12-year effort to discover a groundbreaking “pathfinder” gene at a New York City research lab. But her promising work means that university lab colleague Aeden will get sidelined as he’s grudgingly reassigned from his own project to help with Emily’s project. The pair’s initial animosity—fueled by Emily’s admission that she borrowed Aeden’s research findings—turns to passion, but also forces an emotional and career choice after Emily’s awkward visit to meet Aeden’s family. “People like Emily don’t need other people,” Aeden’s mother bluntly tells him, a conversation that Emily overhears. When she then discovers Aeden’s own duplicitous move to discredit her work, both are forced to take a hard look at their futures. This insider look at the rigors and risks of the competitive world of scientific research is fascinating, but it’s Rothman’s aching study of loneliness, heartbreak and forgiveness that resonate. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Powerful...a surprisingly literary love story set against the clinical, sterile, and cutthroat environment of an academic research lab.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“This sharp debut...sets a bittersweet love story within the cut-throat world of academic research, a great pairing [Rothman] explores with heart, smarts, and a lot of furtive sex... It’s Rothman’s aching study of loneliness, heartbreak and forgiveness that resonate.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A debut novel by a scientist that makes the lab feel like a real place....The pleasure of this novel lies in Rothman’s sincere, straightforward, unpretentious prose wracked with the loneliness of young love.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The DNA of You and Me is a gorgeous novel exploring the intersection of love and science.” — Kimmery Martin, author of The Queen of Hearts
“The DNA of You and Me is a delightful journey through experiments—both in science and in love. I loved following Emily’s quest to find the perfect strand of DNA, and the perfect boyfriend. You can’t help but root for her!” — Miriam Parker, author of The Shortest Way Home
“Refreshing...Asks urgent questions about female ambition. Fans of Lab Girl have found a worthy successor.” — Real Simple
“Andrea Rothman’s debut novel is both a fine and necessary accomplishment. Emily is memorable in this tale of the anguish and splendor of a thoroughly modern woman. We look forward to more from this original and courageous writer.” — Xu Xi, author of That Man in Our Lives and Habit of a Foreign Sky
“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 cut-throat world of cutting-edge research and academia....This one’s a powerful literary page-turner.” — Leah Kaminsky, author of The Waiting Room
Kimmery Martin
“The DNA of You and Me is a gorgeous novel exploring the intersection of love and science.
Real Simple
Refreshing...Asks urgent questions about female ambition. Fans of Lab Girl have found a worthy successor.
Miriam Parker
The DNA of You and Me is a delightful journey through experiments—both in science and in love. I loved following Emily’s quest to find the perfect strand of DNA, and the perfect boyfriend. You can’t help but root for her!
Leah Kaminsky
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 cut-throat world of cutting-edge research and academia....This one’s a powerful literary page-turner.
Xu Xi
Andrea Rothman’s debut novel is both a fine and necessary accomplishment. Emily is memorable in this tale of the anguish and splendor of a thoroughly modern woman. We look forward to more from this original and courageous writer.
