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The White Coat Diaries
Grey’s Anatomy meets Scrubs in this brilliant debut novel about a young doctor’s struggle to survive residency, love, and life.
Having spent the last twenty-something years with her nose in a textbook, brilliant and driven Norah Kapadia has just landed the medical residency of her dreams. But after a disastrous first day, she's ready to quit. Disgruntled patients, sleep deprivation, and her duty to be the "perfect Indian daughter" have her questioning her future as a doctor.
Enter chief resident Ethan Cantor. He's everything Norah aspires to be: respected by the attendings, calm during emergencies, and charismatic with the patients. As he morphs from Norah’s mentor to something more, it seems her luck is finally changing.
When a fatal medical mistake is made, pulling Norah into a cover-up, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the secret. What if “doing no harm” means risking her career and the future for which she’s worked so hard?
Having spent the last twenty-something years with her nose in a textbook, brilliant and driven Norah Kapadia has just landed the medical residency of her dreams. But after a disastrous first day, she's ready to quit. Disgruntled patients, sleep deprivation, and her duty to be the "perfect Indian daughter" have her questioning her future as a doctor.
Enter chief resident Ethan Cantor. He's everything Norah aspires to be: respected by the attendings, calm during emergencies, and charismatic with the patients. As he morphs from Norah’s mentor to something more, it seems her luck is finally changing.
When a fatal medical mistake is made, pulling Norah into a cover-up, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the secret. What if “doing no harm” means risking her career and the future for which she’s worked so hard?
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2020
158 people are currently reading
7092 people want to read
About the author
Madi Sinha
2 books154 followersMadi Sinha is a writer and practicing physician who loves the nervous system, bookshops, tea with milk and snarky conversation (but not necessarily in that order). She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.
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August 15, 2020DNF @ 30%
I really didn't like the voice of the MC in this one, plus the way that she was portrayed as everything you would expect from a stereotypical medstudent/resident kind of got on my nerves, I just wanted a little bit nuance to her character and background but as far as I read there was none and I wasn't interest enough to see if that would get better.
I really didn't like the voice of the MC in this one, plus the way that she was portrayed as everything you would expect from a stereotypical medstudent/resident kind of got on my nerves, I just wanted a little bit nuance to her character and background but as far as I read there was none and I wasn't interest enough to see if that would get better.
June 9, 2022
When somebody advertise this book as Grey’s Anatomy meets Scrubs I honestly say “get out of here” or “are you serious?” because this book is too realistic and serious to remind us of tele novella kind of Shondaland series! And let’s not forget this is also not sarcastic and funny approach to doctors’ lives which are tremendously challenging, demanding. So let’s say, it’s at the zone of ER meets New Amsterdam: High tensioned, emotional, inspirational.
Great things about the book: well-crafted story telling, capturing chapters, likable characters and true, intense and heartfelt approach to our real heroes a.k.a doctor’ lives. Especially when we’re testing ourselves psychically and mentally to fight against the pandemic in these days, they never stop to work, saving people’s lives in expanse to put their own health into danger.
I truly loved Norah Kapadia as a character. It was so easy to resonate with her, worrying about her struggles to fit in the medical world and work harder to realize her family’s expectations, balance her romantic involvements and her friendships. It’s so important for her to be praised by her mentor Ethan Cantor. He is her role model and she wants to be capable to keep her calmness during daily emergencies and handle them with care. But sometimes their motto: “do not harm” may conflict with ethics and Norah finds herself to do the wrong thing to make things right. But her dilemma will change her view not only about her profession but her entire life. Is she at the right place and doing the right thing?
I enjoyed the family dynamics, self-discovery of Norah who finally understands her place in her family, in the hospital and finally in the universe. It’s realistic, fast pacing, emotional, gripping and well-written story and it’s also one of my fastest readings because the story-telling kept my attraction intact and it was real great break for me after reading so much thriller stories.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this remarkable ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
Great things about the book: well-crafted story telling, capturing chapters, likable characters and true, intense and heartfelt approach to our real heroes a.k.a doctor’ lives. Especially when we’re testing ourselves psychically and mentally to fight against the pandemic in these days, they never stop to work, saving people’s lives in expanse to put their own health into danger.
I truly loved Norah Kapadia as a character. It was so easy to resonate with her, worrying about her struggles to fit in the medical world and work harder to realize her family’s expectations, balance her romantic involvements and her friendships. It’s so important for her to be praised by her mentor Ethan Cantor. He is her role model and she wants to be capable to keep her calmness during daily emergencies and handle them with care. But sometimes their motto: “do not harm” may conflict with ethics and Norah finds herself to do the wrong thing to make things right. But her dilemma will change her view not only about her profession but her entire life. Is she at the right place and doing the right thing?
I enjoyed the family dynamics, self-discovery of Norah who finally understands her place in her family, in the hospital and finally in the universe. It’s realistic, fast pacing, emotional, gripping and well-written story and it’s also one of my fastest readings because the story-telling kept my attraction intact and it was real great break for me after reading so much thriller stories.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this remarkable ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
September 14, 2020
I loved this book! As an ER nurse this definately resonated with me. Honestly I will be excited to see what non medical people think of this book. I am not sure if I enjoyed it so much because I nodded my head like a billion times going - yep that is how the ED rolls because there is so much truth in this book. If you are expecting a rom-com I would say it really isn't that. It is more like the struggles that a new physician takes on in a crazy environment. I flew through this book in a day as I was completely entertained.
Norah - aka Dr. Kapadia is a resident that gets thrown into the craziness of the ED. Welcome to our world Norah. I love that this book shows how things really are. The general public I believe is under the impression that if you graduate medical school, you know it all. Okay people but not every situation can be taught in med school. Although Nora made some major mistakes, I can't say I have not seen things like this happen. Although in real life I think someone would have stepped in and stopped her, but that would not make this as entertaining or as shocking as it was.
I felt Norah's pain as she questioned herself and hid in the storage room. When she had her first needle stick- yep that will make you question- why the hell am I doing this? Better yet the abuse you take from the general public. She nailed it on some of that. Quite frankly she downplayed that because the readers probably wouldn't believe that patients actually do this stuff. HAHAHA- believe me they do. I have had someone pour their urine on my computer keyboard...because their doctor didn't give them what they wanted. So Norah's story nailed it!
Why did give it 4 stars even though I loved it? It is because I was a bit put off by a huge moral dilemma that takes place. Let's just say I am one of those "ER nurses" that Norah thought were against her. I would not let that happen on my watch. I would go over Norah's head because it is my job to be my patient's advocate- not my job to worry if the physician is going to be mad at me.
I really enjoyed this book and it kept me flipping the pages. It was better than Grey's Anatomy because the author is a physician and knows the proper lingo. I don't know if some of this will be lost on non medical people, but it wasn't lost on me. Very enjoyable read for me. I loved it!
Norah - aka Dr. Kapadia is a resident that gets thrown into the craziness of the ED. Welcome to our world Norah. I love that this book shows how things really are. The general public I believe is under the impression that if you graduate medical school, you know it all. Okay people but not every situation can be taught in med school. Although Nora made some major mistakes, I can't say I have not seen things like this happen. Although in real life I think someone would have stepped in and stopped her, but that would not make this as entertaining or as shocking as it was.
I felt Norah's pain as she questioned herself and hid in the storage room. When she had her first needle stick- yep that will make you question- why the hell am I doing this? Better yet the abuse you take from the general public. She nailed it on some of that. Quite frankly she downplayed that because the readers probably wouldn't believe that patients actually do this stuff. HAHAHA- believe me they do. I have had someone pour their urine on my computer keyboard...because their doctor didn't give them what they wanted. So Norah's story nailed it!
Why did give it 4 stars even though I loved it? It is because I was a bit put off by a huge moral dilemma that takes place. Let's just say I am one of those "ER nurses" that Norah thought were against her. I would not let that happen on my watch. I would go over Norah's head because it is my job to be my patient's advocate- not my job to worry if the physician is going to be mad at me.
I really enjoyed this book and it kept me flipping the pages. It was better than Grey's Anatomy because the author is a physician and knows the proper lingo. I don't know if some of this will be lost on non medical people, but it wasn't lost on me. Very enjoyable read for me. I loved it!
November 26, 2020
White Coat Diaries by Madi Sinha is a 2020 Berkley publication.
Realistic medical drama
Norah Kapadia has just entered her residency, with a combination of excitement and nerves. Right off the bat, she makes a horrible mistake, magnifying her self-doubt. To complicate matters her family obligations tug at her, as do the many things in life she has yet to experience, causing her to second guess her career choice.
As time passes, Norah will live and learn, leading her to an ultimate crisis of conscience that will decide her future.
When I added this book to my reading list, the top genres Goodreads users placed the book in was 'contemporary romance/fiction', adding the word Medical into the mix, which gave the impression, this was a medical drama-ala Grey’s Anatomy, with some degree of romantic elements included.
Once I finished reading the book, my first thought was that it was mislabeled. A little digging on other sites shows the book categorized simply as 'Medical Fiction" which is a far more apt description- in my opinion.
As the saying goes- ‘Write what you know’- and that is what Madi Sinha has done here. As a medical professional she gives readers a close up and personal view of the drama that goes on behind the scenes in the lives of doctors and exposes hospital politics, some of which blur ethical lines.
The story is compelling on several levels- the cultural expectations Norah has to contend with, the intense pressures on health care professionals, the risks, the human mistakes and the coping mechanisms physicians use, as well as the enormous possibility of severe burnout- certainly gave me something to chew on.
Unfortunately, the drama depicted never grabbed me emotionally, nor did the characters. While I felt Norah’s frustrations, self-doubt, and her palpable crisis of conscience, no matter badly I wished for it, I didn’t find her character inspirational enough to worry about her or to root for her. I did see her character evolve as she goes from a green resident to a more wise, mature woman- which was a plus- and I did applaud the decisions she made at the end of the day.
The ending was also a bit ambiguous and I would have preferred an epilogue or something that hints at Norah's future contentment.
Overall, this book turned out to be a little different from what I was expecting. There is plenty of sudsy hospital theatre here, ala Grey’s Anatomy- as the blurb suggests- but it lacked the angst, urgency, and passion, I was craving.
Other than Norah, the characters are not especially likeable, and I hoped Norah would achieve healthier relationships, both personally and professionally.
Overall, despite the detachment I felt while reading this novel, I do think it is a solid debut. I did enjoy the authenticity the author brought to the table, and the insight into the medical profession, including the various factors that go into patient care- including the machinations of doctors and administrators, behind the scenes. It was interesting, to be sure.
3 stars
Realistic medical drama
Norah Kapadia has just entered her residency, with a combination of excitement and nerves. Right off the bat, she makes a horrible mistake, magnifying her self-doubt. To complicate matters her family obligations tug at her, as do the many things in life she has yet to experience, causing her to second guess her career choice.
As time passes, Norah will live and learn, leading her to an ultimate crisis of conscience that will decide her future.
When I added this book to my reading list, the top genres Goodreads users placed the book in was 'contemporary romance/fiction', adding the word Medical into the mix, which gave the impression, this was a medical drama-ala Grey’s Anatomy, with some degree of romantic elements included.
Once I finished reading the book, my first thought was that it was mislabeled. A little digging on other sites shows the book categorized simply as 'Medical Fiction" which is a far more apt description- in my opinion.
As the saying goes- ‘Write what you know’- and that is what Madi Sinha has done here. As a medical professional she gives readers a close up and personal view of the drama that goes on behind the scenes in the lives of doctors and exposes hospital politics, some of which blur ethical lines.
The story is compelling on several levels- the cultural expectations Norah has to contend with, the intense pressures on health care professionals, the risks, the human mistakes and the coping mechanisms physicians use, as well as the enormous possibility of severe burnout- certainly gave me something to chew on.
Unfortunately, the drama depicted never grabbed me emotionally, nor did the characters. While I felt Norah’s frustrations, self-doubt, and her palpable crisis of conscience, no matter badly I wished for it, I didn’t find her character inspirational enough to worry about her or to root for her. I did see her character evolve as she goes from a green resident to a more wise, mature woman- which was a plus- and I did applaud the decisions she made at the end of the day.
The ending was also a bit ambiguous and I would have preferred an epilogue or something that hints at Norah's future contentment.
Overall, this book turned out to be a little different from what I was expecting. There is plenty of sudsy hospital theatre here, ala Grey’s Anatomy- as the blurb suggests- but it lacked the angst, urgency, and passion, I was craving.
Other than Norah, the characters are not especially likeable, and I hoped Norah would achieve healthier relationships, both personally and professionally.
Overall, despite the detachment I felt while reading this novel, I do think it is a solid debut. I did enjoy the authenticity the author brought to the table, and the insight into the medical profession, including the various factors that go into patient care- including the machinations of doctors and administrators, behind the scenes. It was interesting, to be sure.
3 stars
May 18, 2020
This is usually the kind of book I LOVE - South Asian woman protagonist, highly ambitious, reconciling between two worlds, set in Philadelphia AND in a hospital. It had such potential and I immediately gravitated toward it when I spotted it here.
I wish I could give this book a positive review. I wanted to love it. I did not.
Norah is one-dimensional and I never get any sense of depth or growth from her, nor much empathy until the very end of the book. Her lack of awareness could be attributed to a challenging home life (which I get), but it didn't make her at all relatable or draw sympathy from the reader. None of the characters seem at all developed, and this book read like a mishmash of television medical dramas that didn't bake nearly long enough. This was almost a DNF, and I wish I had trusted my instincts on that front.
I wish I could give this book a positive review. I wanted to love it. I did not.
Norah is one-dimensional and I never get any sense of depth or growth from her, nor much empathy until the very end of the book. Her lack of awareness could be attributed to a challenging home life (which I get), but it didn't make her at all relatable or draw sympathy from the reader. None of the characters seem at all developed, and this book read like a mishmash of television medical dramas that didn't bake nearly long enough. This was almost a DNF, and I wish I had trusted my instincts on that front.
September 23, 2020
A compelling story of personal, familial, and cultural expectations. Madi Sinha is a practicing physician, she really brought an authentic feel to the story and yet it was still extremely accessible. This is the story of Nora and her first year of residency at a prestigious hospital in Philadelphia. We watch Nora deal with the stress, the rigor, the sleepless nights, and the politics of her year as the intern. This is definitely not sugarcoated. It is a year of being judged, humiliated, humbled, shamed, and rarely complemented. All I could think while I was reading this is, why would anyone put themselves through this? And then I thought why do we need to put anyone through this? I really don’t understand why a sleep deprived doctor is ever a good idea it just seems like it’s a recipe for mistakes. BUT believe it or not... nobody asked me. On top of all this Nora is also dealing with familial and cultural expectations. Her mom is lonely, needy, and a hypochondriac. She is constantly making Nora feel guilty for her choices. Not to mention mom is constantly badgering Nora to find a man. Nora‘s brother Paul is at his wits end and tired of being the only one responsible for their mom, he wants Nora to share the load. But how can Nora do that when she’s working constantly not to mention she lives hours away.
Nora was a very likable and sympathetic character. She has spent her whole life working for this. Foregoing any type of romantic or social life to reach her dream of being a doctor. I felt for her and the struggle she had in balancing everything. Her mom‘s actions would frustrate me, but I did understand that her culture is different from my own. I love the part the Indian culture played in the book, especially the food! There is a small dose of romance in this book, but this is by no stretch of the imagination a romance or a romcom. I would classify this as a well done interesting women’s fiction story.
This book in emojis 🧑⚕️ 🩺 💉 🩹 🌡 📋
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
Nora was a very likable and sympathetic character. She has spent her whole life working for this. Foregoing any type of romantic or social life to reach her dream of being a doctor. I felt for her and the struggle she had in balancing everything. Her mom‘s actions would frustrate me, but I did understand that her culture is different from my own. I love the part the Indian culture played in the book, especially the food! There is a small dose of romance in this book, but this is by no stretch of the imagination a romance or a romcom. I would classify this as a well done interesting women’s fiction story.
This book in emojis 🧑⚕️ 🩺 💉 🩹 🌡 📋
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
May 22, 2020
“People in other, normal jobs might have their computer crash or someone took their hole puncher—that’s their day-to-day office crap. Our day-to-day office crap is death and human suffering.”
The White Coat Diaries offers a peek behind the curtain, revealing the inner workings of a doctor’s life. It shows the truth of what goes on behind closed doors in a hospital, the unglamorous truth of saving lives. And I’m not gonna lie, it was not exactly an easy pill to swallow. Norah slowly learns the importance of work-life balance, and the book makes the bureaucratic structure of the healthcare system clear. We get to see just how hard our doctors work to keep us safe, and how heavily every mistake weighs on them. Still, seeing how many mistakes occur is bone-chilling. It is no one’s fault exactly; there are just too many patients and far too few doctors. More than anything, The White Coat Diaries made me realize just how fragile the human body is, and that doctors are often just shooting in the dark. It’s not exactly comforting stuff.
As far as the plot goes, there isn’t really one. The “cover-up” does not occur until 75% of the way into the novel (I know because I was reading on my kindle). This means that the first 75% passes by with … no plot. It kind of just flows by like a memoir. The resolution did not sit well with me, and I feel like it left a lot of strings loose.
There isn’t really a clean ending, and characters just drop out of the story. While this happens in real life, it’s pretty disconcerting when it happens in a novel. Interesting stuff does happen throughout the story, but there is no real overarching plot tying it all together. Everything turns sideways in the last 10% of the book, and the book ends rather abruptly. Without giving too much away, it just seemed extremely out of character and sudded. While I understand that Norah is supposed to grow, her final actions do not seem like they belong to her at all.
The characters are all relatable and realistic, but they all seem lightweight and do little to impact the story. We mainly focus on Norah and her struggles with her work, which is the main point of the story after all. We get to hear just how exhausted she is, over and over, until it makes you kind of exhausted with the book itself. There were many points in the book where I genuinely had no idea where the story was going. I was expecting a drama, with a dose of righteousness, but I stumbled into a humdrum expose about the medical industry instead. I feel like the blurb itself was rather misleading, because I just immediately started imagining a rom com.
One of the reasons I picked up this book was because of the representation. The White Coat Diaries fared well on this point, portraying Norah’s struggle with her family in a relatable and understandable way. Sinha weaves in points that all Indian families can relate to, while also making Norah’s mother a real character and not just a stereotypical Indian mom. The mental struggles surrounding the South Asian community are well developed and feel natural rather than forced. At the same time, it never becomes the focal point of the story and is slipped in every now and then as an underlying conflict.
Overall, The White Coat Diaries provides a sneakily harrowing peek into the life of a doctor-in-training and the frustrations that plague her at every step, both personal and professional. While Norah is an inherently interesting character, she is let down by an ultimately underwhelming plot.
The White Coat Diaries offers a peek behind the curtain, revealing the inner workings of a doctor’s life. It shows the truth of what goes on behind closed doors in a hospital, the unglamorous truth of saving lives. And I’m not gonna lie, it was not exactly an easy pill to swallow. Norah slowly learns the importance of work-life balance, and the book makes the bureaucratic structure of the healthcare system clear. We get to see just how hard our doctors work to keep us safe, and how heavily every mistake weighs on them. Still, seeing how many mistakes occur is bone-chilling. It is no one’s fault exactly; there are just too many patients and far too few doctors. More than anything, The White Coat Diaries made me realize just how fragile the human body is, and that doctors are often just shooting in the dark. It’s not exactly comforting stuff.
As far as the plot goes, there isn’t really one. The “cover-up” does not occur until 75% of the way into the novel (I know because I was reading on my kindle). This means that the first 75% passes by with … no plot. It kind of just flows by like a memoir. The resolution did not sit well with me, and I feel like it left a lot of strings loose.
There isn’t really a clean ending, and characters just drop out of the story. While this happens in real life, it’s pretty disconcerting when it happens in a novel. Interesting stuff does happen throughout the story, but there is no real overarching plot tying it all together. Everything turns sideways in the last 10% of the book, and the book ends rather abruptly. Without giving too much away, it just seemed extremely out of character and sudded. While I understand that Norah is supposed to grow, her final actions do not seem like they belong to her at all.
The characters are all relatable and realistic, but they all seem lightweight and do little to impact the story. We mainly focus on Norah and her struggles with her work, which is the main point of the story after all. We get to hear just how exhausted she is, over and over, until it makes you kind of exhausted with the book itself. There were many points in the book where I genuinely had no idea where the story was going. I was expecting a drama, with a dose of righteousness, but I stumbled into a humdrum expose about the medical industry instead. I feel like the blurb itself was rather misleading, because I just immediately started imagining a rom com.
One of the reasons I picked up this book was because of the representation. The White Coat Diaries fared well on this point, portraying Norah’s struggle with her family in a relatable and understandable way. Sinha weaves in points that all Indian families can relate to, while also making Norah’s mother a real character and not just a stereotypical Indian mom. The mental struggles surrounding the South Asian community are well developed and feel natural rather than forced. At the same time, it never becomes the focal point of the story and is slipped in every now and then as an underlying conflict.
Overall, The White Coat Diaries provides a sneakily harrowing peek into the life of a doctor-in-training and the frustrations that plague her at every step, both personal and professional. While Norah is an inherently interesting character, she is let down by an ultimately underwhelming plot.
May 4, 2020
This was a major disappointment. Longer, rant-y review on NetGalley.
March 3, 2024
4.5
this is women's fiction at its best. everybody insufferable and dumb but what a ride.
this is women's fiction at its best. everybody insufferable and dumb but what a ride.
August 18, 2020
I don’t usually rate books I haven’t read and I do agree that this author lashing out after a bad review wasn’t the best, yet I don’t support numerous people coming to rate her book poorly just to hurt her. This is her debut novel and it should be understood that she’s probably new to all of this which is why she acted tactlessly. The Book Blogger has lots of following and her poor review would definitely affect the mindset of her followers towards the book. That probably hurt the author terribly hence she lashed out. (Not saying it was the best approach but she’s human). Don’t ruin somebody’s work just to spite her.
March 18, 2020
I LOVED this novel and can't wait to share it both with my colleagues in medicine and the readers in my life.
Madi Sinha's witty, heartfelt novel navigates the worlds of medicine and South Asian culture. Readers everywhere will root for Norah Kapadia's compelling journey of self-discovery. Told with equal parts wit and warmth, this story beautifully explores ambition, romance, and identity.
Madi Sinha's witty, heartfelt novel navigates the worlds of medicine and South Asian culture. Readers everywhere will root for Norah Kapadia's compelling journey of self-discovery. Told with equal parts wit and warmth, this story beautifully explores ambition, romance, and identity.
March 28, 2020
Charming, authentic, and deeply moving, The White Coat Diaries explores one young doctor's quest for meaning amid the competing demands of career ambition, family obligation, and romantic entanglement. With her elegant, fast-paced prose, Madi Sinha will captivate you from the first line -- and have you rooting for the heroine until the very end.
May 12, 2020
It is very seldom that I find myself at a loss for words when I review a book. But, in this case, I am having difficulty finding the right words to describe what I feel about what the writers intent was for the reader. That she has a flair for light comedy; drama; budding romance; truth will prevail; coming of age (a little older than most)? What ever the author's intent she had my attention from the first pages until the final page. I laughed. I cried. I enjoyed her foray into romance. I delighted in the heroines coming of age and the accepting of responsibility for her actions. But the ending was brilliant and leaves me waiting for the next phase of this character's story.
I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a refreshing change to the usual fare offered the reading public. I have rated this book 5 stars.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.
Thank you Frank for your review!!
I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a refreshing change to the usual fare offered the reading public. I have rated this book 5 stars.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.
Thank you Frank for your review!!
March 10, 2020
An engrossing story featuring an endearing protagonist. Madi Sinha offers a compelling glimpse into the world of medicine and desi culture through Norah Kapadia, a witty, fierce, memorable character. As Norah navigates her personal and professional struggles, she may falter, but she's never defeated. Readers will delight in her self-discovery and development—both as a doctor and an individual.
March 28, 2020
This book! OMG it's soooo good! It is a punch to the soul in the best possible way. Madi Sinha captures the unimaginable stress of medical residency with so much heart. I was engrossed in Norah's journey from the first paragraph. I felt for her the whole way through--her struggle to prove herself as a physician, her struggle to navigate romantic relationships and friendships, her struggle to reconcile her family's cultural expectations with her professional and personal goals. Madi Sinha tells a compelling story of self discovery and blends it beautifully with the chaotic world of medicine and the wrenching nature of love. This book will knock you on your butt, and you will love it.
August 17, 2020
No thanks.
November 25, 2020
HOLY HELL THAT WAS INTENSE. I went into this thinking it was a rom com (because cover) and NOPE. Not that at all. I was totally sucked in though and am now convinced that I don’t ever want to seek medical care again because the entire medical field is so dysfunctional and WHY DO THEY TREAT MED STUDENTS AND INTERNS LIKE THAT???
but seriously, if you want a very cynical look at the inside of a hospital, crack this open and settle in. I was horrified and absolutely riveted.
but seriously, if you want a very cynical look at the inside of a hospital, crack this open and settle in. I was horrified and absolutely riveted.
September 8, 2020
Rounding up from 3.5 stars. I had very mixed feeling about this book, which doesn't seem to be sure what tone it's going for. There are some funny incidents, but overall it's a fairly disturbing look at the intense pressure of the intern year, and the lack of compassion for patients made me uncomfortable repeatedly throughout the book. Still, it's a fast and absorbing read, and gave me plenty to think about.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
June 15, 2020
This wonderfully written book provides a voyeuristic view of the trials and tribulations of our protagonist: Norah Kapadia, a young doctor. Truly eye-opening, we not only get a realistic story of what our medical professionals face, but we also get a story delivered with heart and humor (one particular scene had me laughing out loud), touching upon family/personal relationships and finding yourself. Norah is a flawed character (like all real humans) and she makes mistakes and some very bad decisions. For me, this made her all the more relatable. Life, after all, isn’t perfect and can be very unpredictable.
January 19, 2021
Wow! This was an amazing piece of women's fiction, and it is so relevant to everything that is going on in the world right now. I think it can be easy to forget how busy and truly overworked our nation's physicians are. Meet Dr. Norah Kapadia, a 26-year-old virgin who recently graduated medical school. She lands a prestigious resident position at Philadelphia General Hospital and quickly feels that she is in over her head. She begins to panic that maybe she is not cut out to be a doctor after all... I'm pretty sure we all felt this type of despondency in our twenties! To make things more complicated, Norah begins to fall for a newly single chief resident, Ethan Cantor. Is it just a crush or something more?
Sinha really displays the shitshow that is the ER. Norah is faced with dozens of scenarios; some funny and some terrifying! There are several important underlying themes throughout the book as well, including depression and anxiety, cultural views surrounding marriage and working women, and drug addiction. This book has a little bit of everything, and I hope we get a sequel to see where Norah ultimately ends up!
Sinha really displays the shitshow that is the ER. Norah is faced with dozens of scenarios; some funny and some terrifying! There are several important underlying themes throughout the book as well, including depression and anxiety, cultural views surrounding marriage and working women, and drug addiction. This book has a little bit of everything, and I hope we get a sequel to see where Norah ultimately ends up!
August 28, 2020
ARC provided by Berkeley Pub via Netgalley.
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Initially, I was hesitant to review this one, because no matter how valid the representation is, I wish South Asian stories could be more than “I’m a doctor/I want to be a doctor/my family is oppressive,” etc. But since that is also part of our story, I went ahead and read this.
It’s in present tense, which is one of the deal breakers for me, but I got over that more quickly than normal. The story alternates between life as an intern/resident in a hospital and Norah’s struggles with her family, but...it’s not so much of a plot as much as a day-to-day diary. There were long expositions of patient experiences that didn’t contribute to the overall story. Nothing happens until about 75% in, but because all of the characters were undeveloped, you’re not really rooting for any of them. Overall, the plot was choppy, there were multiple time jumps, and the characters were all one-dimensional, more or less.
Norah was also not easy to root for - her entire identity was rooted in her job, which is fine, but you don’t have anything to grasp of her own personality outside of that. Her mistakes and angst reminded me of someone in their teens, not late twenties, I found the lack of self-awareness and growth to be very grating.
I did appreciate the mention of sex in South Asian culture, and though I completely got the context, I wish it had more nuance in the struggles of growing up between Eastern and Western cultures. The simplification reminded me of what it’s like to explain your culture to those outside of it.
This did have one win for me, though: the integrations of her culture and family were fairly seamless. It was a good representation of what it’s like, but it didn’t make her ethnicity the whole story.
I would’ve loved to love this book, but it fell short in many ways for me. Others may feel differently.
UPDATE: Only after I finished the book, did I see in other reviews how the author went after a black and indigenous blogger. I do not condone that, and was unaware of that when I agreed to read/review this book.
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Initially, I was hesitant to review this one, because no matter how valid the representation is, I wish South Asian stories could be more than “I’m a doctor/I want to be a doctor/my family is oppressive,” etc. But since that is also part of our story, I went ahead and read this.
It’s in present tense, which is one of the deal breakers for me, but I got over that more quickly than normal. The story alternates between life as an intern/resident in a hospital and Norah’s struggles with her family, but...it’s not so much of a plot as much as a day-to-day diary. There were long expositions of patient experiences that didn’t contribute to the overall story. Nothing happens until about 75% in, but because all of the characters were undeveloped, you’re not really rooting for any of them. Overall, the plot was choppy, there were multiple time jumps, and the characters were all one-dimensional, more or less.
Norah was also not easy to root for - her entire identity was rooted in her job, which is fine, but you don’t have anything to grasp of her own personality outside of that. Her mistakes and angst reminded me of someone in their teens, not late twenties, I found the lack of self-awareness and growth to be very grating.
I did appreciate the mention of sex in South Asian culture, and though I completely got the context, I wish it had more nuance in the struggles of growing up between Eastern and Western cultures. The simplification reminded me of what it’s like to explain your culture to those outside of it.
This did have one win for me, though: the integrations of her culture and family were fairly seamless. It was a good representation of what it’s like, but it didn’t make her ethnicity the whole story.
I would’ve loved to love this book, but it fell short in many ways for me. Others may feel differently.
UPDATE: Only after I finished the book, did I see in other reviews how the author went after a black and indigenous blogger. I do not condone that, and was unaware of that when I agreed to read/review this book.
June 22, 2020
2.5 * This was such a fun behind the scenes look into an interns life. The un-glamorous truth of the pressures and politics in hospitals. I really liked Norah and (some of) the supporting characters. Until I didn't.
An issue I had with this book was that there was little to no plot other than the day to day life of an intern until about 75% into the book. The pacing was off as some parts were interesting, and then it just ground to a halt. There were too many story lines and scenarios.
The resolution was very disappointing to me, but the last few sentences reintroduced a bit of hope. It just seemed extremely out of character for Norah who I had grown fond of and felt I knew her well enough that it just didn't make sense.
An issue I had with this book was that there was little to no plot other than the day to day life of an intern until about 75% into the book. The pacing was off as some parts were interesting, and then it just ground to a halt. There were too many story lines and scenarios.
The resolution was very disappointing to me, but the last few sentences reintroduced a bit of hope. It just seemed extremely out of character for Norah who I had grown fond of and felt I knew her well enough that it just didn't make sense.
July 1, 2020
I was thoroughly impressed with this novel! It was everything I wanted it to be and so much more! It's at once a love story as it is an impressive medical debut. I was just as much caught up in the romance aspect of the book as I was in the medicine storyline. The characters were extremely relatable, particularly the heroine, Norah. I really never knew what to expect. This book was refreshing, witty, and a pageturner. I would most certainly recommend it!
May 5, 2020
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this one. Brilliant, gripping, heart breaking. You see the ways medical training breaks the residents down and how Norah changes because of it. Great dialogue and characters. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
August 9, 2020
I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning devouring THE WHITE COAT DIARIES. I'm not sure the last time I read an entire book in one night. I couldn't put it down. The heroine was so thoroughly charming, I was rooting for her from the first cringe-worthy, wrought days as a new medical intern through her challenges to reconcile family and cultural expectations, and along her journey of professional and personal self-discovery. Sinha's writing is funny (I laughed out loud several times), heartfelt without tipping into melodramatic, and it delivers a pointed and deeply human insider view of life in a hospital. While a romantic entanglement is part of Norah's journey, this book is unflinchingly a story of personal growth.
Thank you to the author and Berkley for an early copy.
Thank you to the author and Berkley for an early copy.
October 18, 2020
I didn’t like or respect the main character – Dr. Norah Kapadia. What she did – lying to cover up a medical mistake was unconscionable and certainly unethical. Where was her obligation to the patient and the patient’s family? And all because of an imagined ‘romance’ with the chief resident. Shame on her!
It’s likely that this sort of thing does happen in real life making it a rather chilling thought.
It’s likely that this sort of thing does happen in real life making it a rather chilling thought.
January 28, 2020
A great novel about a young doctor navigating relationships, love and medicine.
April 26, 2021
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Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review on The White Coat Diaries.
A review will be up on my blog on April 29, 2021 at 10 am CST on Honey Roselea Reads for you guys to check out!
My review on The White Coat Diaries will be accessible using this link from April 29, 2021 at 10 am CST and onward.
For now, here is a preview to what the review will look like:
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In The White Coat Diaries, we are transported to a world filled with medical terms, diagnosis, and the life of a working woman. Through the life of Norah Kadapia, we are shown her world in the beginning as an intern at a hospital, learning the ropes of what it would truly take to become a doctor.
But, along the way, we are given drama, complications, and a burst of emotions in which a doctor must face. Luckily for Norah, with the help of resident Dr. Ethan Cantor, she is able to gain insight and a deeper understanding of... [ continue reading ]
October 14, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This wasn’t the winner I was hoping for, but it was still a very enjoyable read. After falling in love with At Least You Have Your Health, I couldn’t wait to read Sinha’s debut. The White Coat Diaries felt exactly like watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, just with way less action happening in the on-call rooms. It’s smart and funny (swipe to see my favorite quote) and thoughtful, all things I’ve come to expect from this rockstar of an author.
This is a fantastic work of contemporary fiction and I have yet to come across anyone else who tells medical stories in such a realistic and compelling way. If you’re a woman in medicine (or really anyone in the healthcare field), I can’t recommend Sinha’s work enough.
If you’re not a fan of hospitals, The White Coat Diaries might not be for you. But if you can handle a lot of medical chat, this book is really well done. Sinha writes in a way that adequately explains all the medical jargon without being condescending and her books are a bit educational, but you never feel like you’re reading a text book.
I also didn’t particularly *love* the main character (I got some young April Kepner vibes 🤪) but this truly is a book about finding yourself and growing as a doctor and human being. Norah’s behavior was a little frustrating at times but I was able to rise above and cut her some slack in the beginning. When we finally get to the big moral dilemma I lost some of my initial patience.
While I didn’t necessarily like the direction things went in the second half I still couldn’t put this down. This story was so smart and relatable, especially the themes of compassion fatigue, imposter syndrome, and familial obligation.
🎧 I enjoyed the audiobook too!
This is a fantastic work of contemporary fiction and I have yet to come across anyone else who tells medical stories in such a realistic and compelling way. If you’re a woman in medicine (or really anyone in the healthcare field), I can’t recommend Sinha’s work enough.
If you’re not a fan of hospitals, The White Coat Diaries might not be for you. But if you can handle a lot of medical chat, this book is really well done. Sinha writes in a way that adequately explains all the medical jargon without being condescending and her books are a bit educational, but you never feel like you’re reading a text book.
I also didn’t particularly *love* the main character (I got some young April Kepner vibes 🤪) but this truly is a book about finding yourself and growing as a doctor and human being. Norah’s behavior was a little frustrating at times but I was able to rise above and cut her some slack in the beginning. When we finally get to the big moral dilemma I lost some of my initial patience.
While I didn’t necessarily like the direction things went in the second half I still couldn’t put this down. This story was so smart and relatable, especially the themes of compassion fatigue, imposter syndrome, and familial obligation.
🎧 I enjoyed the audiobook too!
January 31, 2022
This was not at all what I expected, and in a good way. I thought it was going to be a romance novel, but it this really is more about what a graduate of med school goes through while completing their residency than it is a romance, and therefore I enjoyed this so very much.
Norah Kapadia is learning how to follow in her father's footsteps of becoming a doctor, all while finding who she is, struggling to stand her ground both against a mother that thinks she would be better off married and having children, and a family that thinks she is doing the most and should just take a seat. The residency life is hard enough on its own, but with all of these other outside pressures, and the fact that Norah is very naive about life itself, she is struggling with juggling everything and is also questioning whether she is even doing the right thing.
Like I said, I really enjoyed this one, and the medical information was an extra bonus that was great. There were ups and downs galore but I loved going on Norah's journey with her as she found herself in many sticky situations, some of which I'm sure are very common in the medical field and I thought she handled them all very well. (Well not all of them she did at first but she found her way eventually).
This one had been sitting on my shelf for a while and I am so glad I got to it, I really enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to others!
Thank you to Berkley Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to review!
Norah Kapadia is learning how to follow in her father's footsteps of becoming a doctor, all while finding who she is, struggling to stand her ground both against a mother that thinks she would be better off married and having children, and a family that thinks she is doing the most and should just take a seat. The residency life is hard enough on its own, but with all of these other outside pressures, and the fact that Norah is very naive about life itself, she is struggling with juggling everything and is also questioning whether she is even doing the right thing.
Like I said, I really enjoyed this one, and the medical information was an extra bonus that was great. There were ups and downs galore but I loved going on Norah's journey with her as she found herself in many sticky situations, some of which I'm sure are very common in the medical field and I thought she handled them all very well. (Well not all of them she did at first but she found her way eventually).
This one had been sitting on my shelf for a while and I am so glad I got to it, I really enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to others!
Thank you to Berkley Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to review!
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