3.5

Not sure how I feel about this story.

On one hand, I like to see growth in characters through, and by the end of the story, and Norah Kapadia did evolve. Albeit, for me, it was lukewarm.

On the other hand, for someone who graduated with honors at the top of her med school class, Norah always seemed lukewarm. It would have been nice to see some of the confidence that helped her get the Philadelphia General internship throughout the story.

While doctors “react” to the physical/mental health issues of patients by diagnosis and treatment, reactionary was how Norah lived her life. To her family, her culture, her coworkers. Even her decision to go into medicine was to get closer to and understand her workaholic pediatrician father who died in a car accident when she was young.

But for me, Norah’s biggest faux pas was her reactions to her own assumptions. Norah was not the cause of some of the situations she found herself in, but her reactions made them worse. People around her played roles in her life while she had no active role. Had she been more present, things would have gone differently with Meryl, Ethan, Gabe, and maybe even Stuart.

To be fair, Norah admits to being non-confrontational and a bit of a doormat, and this only leads to her being overruled by family and coworkers and bullied into doing things she doesn’t want to.

Norah never speaks ill of her desi heritage, but readily admits the traditions are not for her. She wants more than an arranged marriage with a rich husband, however, instead of being a firm conviction, it’s a recurring theme her family makes fun of and disrespects. When Norah finds her spine and speaks up, it’s out of anger, over-the-top, and at the wrong time.

However, when Norah decides to follow her conscious regardless of the consequences, I applaud her. I have a problem with her timeliness, but even in that, I must give her credit for finally being true to herself.

Though Norah’s journey is cautionary, it is a transparent gaze into the hospital hierarchy of interns, residents, and attending physicians.

And it’s not a good look when career aspirations are put ahead of patient lives.

But The White Coat Diaries is a good look past the medical profession into the personalities and motivations of future doctors and their mentors, and what… and who they’re willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals.

Super cute! If you're a Grey's or medical drama fan, definitely read this one! It was a teeny bit long and slightly predictable but overall very good. I struggled with the main character a little bit - she was a little too naive for me, but I think it worked for the story. The ending felt a little rushed for me but I think it wrapped up pretty well. A fun, juicy read.

Although book marketing comparisons don't always get it right (not every book featuring witches and wizards is "the next Harry Potter"!), the "Grey's Anatomy meets Scrubs is the perfect pitch for The White Coat Diaries. Readers who enjoy the high stakes medical and personal drama of Grey's and the quirkiness of Scrubs will feel right at home alongside intern Norah Kapadia in the halls of Philadelphia General Hospital.

The White Coat Diaries follows Norah through her sleep deprived residency, where she battles imposter syndrome, cranky patients, crankier attendings, and her growing feelings for her chief resident. On top of that she carries the weight of her deceased father's medical legacy, her mother's disappointment that she's still single, and her brother's disappointment that she can't take on more parental care duties.

This is a good title for readers who enjoy stories about characters coming in to their own or navigating early adulthood and figuring out where they fit in the world. The novel's strongest moments are those in which Norah is reflecting on her relationship with her mother and taking serious stock of her career. Readers may put off by the fact that the "fatal medical mistake" alluded to in the synopsis happens rather late in the book (making some of the final chapters feel a bit rushed) and that certain storylines are rather abruptly concluded with little in depth exploration of how Norah and her colleagues are affected.

An overall enjoyable reading experience, but one that will probably leave some readers feeling underwhelmed. 3.5 stars.

I absolutely felt the vibes of both Grey Anatomy and Scrubs (which were referenced in the book description) in reading this book. The book actually reads almost like a set of story lines to be used in developing a script for a new medical show.

The positives for me:
*Really enjoyed the cultural aspects of the main character and her mother
*Good medical events (in some cases) used to illustrate the chaos and stress interns and residents face
*Good creation of camaraderie across the med students

Some areas that could be tweaked:
*The romance plots felt a bit empty - there was no fizzle or sizzle for me with any of those connections
*The medical events seemed to focus on a lot of extreme cases (hence the Grey's similarity) but it felt like to many medical mistakes and wonky situations for the story line

Overall, this was a fast read for me, and although I still don't seem to fall in love with medical dramas, this one captured my attention.

Gray’s Anatomy meets Scrubs? I HAD to read this one! (Thanks @berkleypub for the copy)

Norah Kapadia is a recent medical school graduate just starting her internship (the first year of residency) and wow, did this bring back memories! I thought I had blocked that horrible year out 😬. But it all came galloping back: the crushing sense of incompetence, the long hours filled with checklists and tasks, the constant fear of screwing up and hurting a patient, and of course, the debilitating, omnipresent fatigue. Mix in the pressure Norah felt from her Indian-American family, plus the heady feelings of first love and a doozy of a moral dilemma, and this one kept me turning pages.

To be clear: this is NOT a romance or a romcom or anything related—this is women’s fiction about identity and family expectations and learning to own one’s choices. As such, it works well. There were times that Norah wasn’t very likable, and I didn’t agree with everything she did, and I didn’t necessarily understand why she made a certain decision at the very end, but humans are complex and I can appreciate a messy ending. This isn’t as funny as Scrubs or as emotional as Gray’s Anatomy, but it did feel fairly true to life and for that, I am grateful. Too often the realities of medical training are glossed over, when those were intensely difficult years. I recommend this for those who enjoy accessible women’s fiction and medical dramas.


(Berkley was kind enough to surprise me with a physical copy after sending a digital one via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!)

This novel focuses on a young Indian woman's struggle to the perfect daughter and doctor. After she falls in love with the chief resident and is pulled into a fatal medical incident, her loyalty to not only her career, but to herself are tested. This book was partly based in Philadelphia, which was a nice surprise for me. This was typical chick lit.

This story was really well done and enjoyable. Norah made a really great main character and I liked her immensely. The author did a fantastic job of incorporating family dynamics and Indian culture into its story and I loved that aspect. The writing was fast paced and well done and I found this to be a quick fun read. Overall if you are a fan of Grey's anatomy or other medical dramas you will love this book!

I think an easy comparison would be if you like Grey's Anatomy then you'll love this book! While that is true, there is so much more to love about this book. Norah Kapadia is following in her father's footsteps by going to medical school. She starts her residency and is immediately concerned about whether she can actually do this or not. In part, it goes against what is expected of a daughter from an Indian family. She is not eager to get married, but she does meet chief resident, Ethan Cantor which is a relationship that develops into something more. I found myself turning pages because I was completely invested in Norah's story. She's imperfect but always tries her best. I kept wanting to know what happened next. I will say there is a twist to the story that I didn't see coming, and by the time I got to the last sentence I did not want the story to end. I loved how it ended, but I couldn't have been more disappointed that I couldn't keep reading. That's not a feeling I get very often, but it clearly shows how much I loved this book. I related so much to Norah and her desire to find the right path for herself in all aspects of her life. If you want a book that will let you escape life for a while, then definitely read this one!

I went back and forth with my rating on this one. I was very intrigued for a large part of the story. I thought the author did such a great job with the day to day life of an intern: the crazy patients, the attending who thought they were God, the lack of sleep and junk food, the lack of a social life, etc. It was all very interesting. I was confused because the premise made it seem as though it was more of a romance. The romance played second fiddle to Norah's life as an intern though. Don't get me wrong, I was fine with that. But if you are looking for a romance, you should look elsewhere. I was also disappointed because the main part of the plot didn't occur until about 70% of the way through the book and when it did, it was skimmed over and seemed to resolve itself more quickly than I would like.

I thought that the author did a very good job with the character of Norah and with the changes that she went through during the course of her internship. She started out very naive and very much a sort of doormat with people, especially with her mother. I loved the parts that revolved around Norah's family. Yes, the dynamics were extremely frustrating. Between her mother's grief and her mother's desire to see her married instead of a doctor to her brother and sister-in-law's wish that she would give up on her dreams to make things easier on them, it was all a bit much. But those dynamics helped explain why Norah was the way that she was.

Besides the fact that it took a while to get to the main events of the plot, I did have a few issues with Norah's choices at the end of the book. I thought she was more assertive and that was fantastic, and I thought that the choices she made were understandable. However, I didn't really think where she ended up fit with her goals or the rest of the story. That part didn't really make sense to me. Also, she had done a few things that were questionable and suggested that she was going down the same path as her mother, but that part was never addressed. It seemed like the author forgot about that part and maybe Norah just ended those things on her own.

This book was pretty good in certain areas and definitely an interesting look at the life of an intern, but I still had a few issues with the pacing in certain areas and Norah's character arc.

Norah Kapadia has just started her first year as a medical intern at Philadelphia General Hospital. Norah, who is more used to keeping her nose in a book than interacting with people, is thrust into a high-intensity, high-stress job that will impact the next three years of her life. She'll learn what it means to hold someone else's life in her hands. But will she be able to shoulder that type of responsibility?

I think the blurb is very apt with the Grey's Anatomy comparisons especially early years Grey's. I could feel the pressure and the stress of the fast-paced world of the hospital seeping out of the pages as I read. I think the picture painted of what it takes to work in the healthcare industry and the toll it puts upon doctors, nurses, and patients is deftly felt. As are the cracks in the system and where some small, seemingly routine kind of determination could wind up being life threatening. I felt with each diagnosis the precarious balance in which lives were resting. I thought that Madi Sinha really did a great job of conveying these feelings throughout.

The thing is, I wanted to like Norah more than I actually did. She's not a bad person, but in order for her become successful at her job - at least in her mind - I felt like there was a lack of empathy for those she treated. In fact, many of the characters seemed to be this way and it was slightly off-putting. I know, or I figure I know, that when you're in the medical profession there has to be a divide between how one feels about a person and being able to medically treat them. I mean come on, we've seen the TV storylines that showcase doctors who are too emotionally involved. But I wanted to see something from Norah.

It's true that at the beginning of the book Norah enters this new world more on the naive side. Yes, she has all the capabilities to be a doctor, she's intelligent and she's able to think on her feet, but in order to achieve all that she has, she's kind of closed herself off in the box. So when she's out on her own and she's in this super stressful situation, I think she ends up overcompensating in order to cope with all the stress around her at the hospital.

It includes, but not limited to, making some very questionable choices on the job. It was difficult to read some of these circumstances because, as a reader viewing Norah's life from the outside, you can easily pinpoint the myriad of places where she's going wrong. And I think it's a natural thing to want the main protagonist of the book to come out on top, but as the story progresses Norah kind of spirals. And the impact this had for me overall is that I didn't feel there was enough of a balance showing the "after" side. I wanted to see more of Norah learning from her experiences, but I think the book takes us up to the edge, almost showing, then cuts off.

It does this similarly in the way we see Norah interacting with her family and friends. Her family that doesn't entirely understand her commitment to medicine as opposed to traditional Indian culture. I thought the clashes that rise up between Norah (a woman of science) and her sister-in-law (a woman of tradition) is very interesting, but like other aspects of the story, it just doesn't go far enough to make a statement one way or another.

Maybe the true message is that there is not definitive answer. We all just do the best that we're able to do with what we have and with what we've been taught. But still in Norah's case, as a reader, I wanted to know that she really understood where her mistakes have led her, and seeing her become better, but I just don't know if she does at the end.

I like stories that have a point. I particularly like stories where the entire point of the plot, characters, and conflict is about love. Relationship love. Not career love. Not mountain hiking love. Not even self-love (although that has its time and place). It's not enough for me to read a story about a character that learns something. It's not enough for me to read about a character that experiences something. As a reader, I get to escape from life and experience for a span of however many pages what the character experiences. And what makes me the happiest is when those characters are falling in love. Does this make me deep or shallow? I don't know. I don't really care. Reading isn't about analyzing my "why." It's about enjoying the process. And so that's what I personally evaluate against when I'm reading a book.

The White Coat Diaries was one of those books that I got to the end of and thought "What was the point?" I know that sounds a bit harsh, but I've got to be real. The beginning was slow to get going for me. I struggled with Norah. I struggled with her mom. Norah is dealing with a lot of self-esteem issues. She's the nerdy girl who has a beautiful, spontaneous best friend. She's always felt a bit of an outsider looking in. She hasn't fully connected with her family and she hasn't fully connected with her friends or colleagues. I felt she was almost self-loathing through much of the book. Dealing with a lot of shame (feeling bad about who she is). This isn't a fun type of character to read about. Norah's mother is a hypochondriac. Her constant worry and nagging through the beginning of the book weighed on me as it did Norah. And Norah's brother Paul and his wife Reema were as well. I could see and understand all perspectives, but it didn't set things up for success when compared to my reading preferences.

Recently, I've read a couple of books with Indian characters and love both of them. I was on the hunt for more of the same when I read the description of The White Coat Diaries. Yet. the description (and this bears more exploration in a discussion post for the future perhaps) left me feeling like Norah's story would be headed in a distinctly negative direction. The description implies that Norah and Ethan fall in love and somehow both of them are pulled into a fatal error which results in a cover-up. A budding relationship likely can't survive that. And if it can, I'm not sure it's a relationship that I want to read about. The conflict is spelled out for the reader, but there's no real hope given of things turning out in any positive manner. And man do I want to discuss what actually happened in detail, but I can't spoil it. Well unless you want me to. *******Highlight for spoiler: I was expecting Ethan to ask Norah to cover his tail. What I wasn't expecting was how far Norah would willingly go for Ethan. Especially given the knowledge of his relationship with Elle. I was really disappointed in her. End spoiler.*******

The medical side of the story was what I would expect. It's what every TV show has shown us about the medical training program. ER, Grey's Anatomy, House, many many more. All of these TV shows reveal the rigorous and difficult training our doctors have to go through. They each show the negative sides to the medical field and the struggles doctors are facing as well. Some moments were presented so well, and I felt Norah's overwhelm. It was easy to see how mistakes could be made at any given moment. Other times, I felt like only the negative aspects of the profession were shown. Of course, I have no firsthand experience in the field. I wondered at times if a political agenda was being presented, but since I couldn't be sure, I have to say that if you're going to include one then this is the best possible way to do it. In a way, where the reader doesn't feel beat over the head with an opinion they are implied to be stupid if they don't agree with.

Since I've already stated that relationships are my favorite parts of stories, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about them. I liked the camaraderie of Norah's fellow interns. The residents were each hard to like. Is it not possible to have a decent person in this position? The attendings too were all pretty despicable. Norah's family was demanding and not understanding which is odd considering her father was a doctor as well. Meryl, I had mixed feelings about. How things went there just left me feeling sad for and disappointed in both Meryl and Norah. Ethan, I couldn't so much fault him for his part in leading Norah on because he truly felt like he was being upfront with her. Gabe, I was semi rooting for. Overall, I was just disappointed in everyone.

Initially, The White Coat Diaries was slow to get going. I struggled to connect with the characters. I wasn't clear on what the purpose of the overall story was supposed to be other than ultimately taking responsibility for your mistakes even if it means losing what you thought you wanted. When I immediately finished, I thought I would give The White Coat Diaries 3 Stars, but since I've analyzed it more with this review, I'm thinking it's more of a 2 to 2.5 Star book for me. I didn't hate it, but it certainly doesn't align with my reading preferences. And I kind of wish I could have spent the time reading a different book. Have you read The White Coat Diaries? What did you think? Let me know!

A tense stressful look at the life of an intern. I enjoyed this book well enough, it was serious, entertaining and seemed realistic to me. What I could not get on board with was the big defining event, the moral dilemma. I didn’t buy it, and honestly thought ugh, seriously? Read it for yourself, maybe you’ll enjoy the ride.

** I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

*Given an advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The White Coat Diaries by Madi Sinha is a fun mishmash novel that has a healthy dose of romance drama, family drama, and career drama.

Dr. Norah Kapardi is the daughter of a renowned cardiologist who died when she was a child in a car accident. So she wants to live up to his name, but it’s been difficult with her mother still mourning years later struggling with depression and diabetes. Norah’s brother and sister-in-law lay the guilt on her for not helping with her mother. Once she starts her residency, Norah quickly finds herself falling for her supervisor, Ethan. They start going out. Norah is falling hard, and she thinks Ethan is too until she discovers he may or may not be sleeping with another doctor. But when a patient on Norah’s watch dies unexpectedly due to Ethan’s advice, Ethan asks Norah to lie for him. Her feelings for him cloud her judgment. As she constructs the lie, she tries to figure out if Ethan is worth the possible obliteration of her medical career. But more mistakes along the way end up with her making sacrifices she didn’t expect.

The pressure to meet your career goals while being bogged down by family needs feels authentic, especially with Norah’s mother experiencing health issues and Norah being a doctor who helps when she can but can’t be on call 24/7 just for her mother. She has other patients! And she learns the importance of patient ethics as the book shows the stress of residency life and how patients’ well-being can still slip between the cracks when the doctors are not paying attention. While the doctors are worrying about patients, their own well-being is deteriorating, and they stay together all the time which leads to sexual tension. This story shows how hormones can lead to the wrong decisions as Norah, a virgin due to never having time for a social life, is still figuring out what it means to even be in love.

Overall, the novel is a page-turner since Grey’s Anatomy-like medical romances feel rare in the women’s fiction genre. The author is a doctor herself, so the ups and downs Norah is dealing with as she starts her career strikes a chord in the love, family, and friend departments.

Norah Kapadia graduated med school at the top of her class and is now starting her medical internship at a very prestigious hospital. She is beyond smart and hardworking. She has spent her entire 20s thus far in the library studying. Norah has few friends, zero romantic relationships (in fact, she’s still a virgin), and no social life to speak of. She tries to help her brother out with their basket case mother as often as she can, but her efforts never seem to be good enough. It doesn’t help that her very traditional Indian mother just wants Norah to settle down and get married already.

But Norah has worked too hard to get where she is, and she refuses to settle for anything less than her dream. Her rockstar doctor father may have died when Norah was young, but she will keep his legacy alive through her work. Never mind that her days as a medical intern have already pushed her past her limits of knowledge, patience, and physical endurance. At this point, she’s so far beyond her comfort zone that she feels like she’s floating outside her sleep-deprived body, just orbiting the shell of her former self in a haze of “is this even real life?” exhaustion. But she knows she’s capable of rising to the challenge and making her father proud. It helps that she’s surrounded by a stellar team of physicians. Also, her chief resident, Ethan Cantor, is a good teacher. Knowledgeable, experienced…and cute. Norah may be a virgin, but a little bit of eye candy never hurt anyone, right?

MY THOUGHTS
The publisher describes this book as “Grey’s Anatomy meets Scrubs,” and that is a spot on comparison. The book mostly focuses on Norah’s individual patients and her experiences interacting with other doctors, interns, and nurses. We see her manage the chaos the best she can, sometimes making borderline-crazy decisions borne of inexperience, and sometimes making connections about problems that even the doctors weren’t able to see. The book is fast-paced, super engrossing, and surprisingly lighthearted and fun. It was a five-star read for me until about the 85% mark because….WTH, that ending!! I won’t give anything away, but, seriously, I couldn’t understand Norah’s choices. I had a hard time believing this character would act the way she does—especially leading up to those final pages. I really need someone else to read this book so we can talk about it!

Still, there is no denying that The White Coat Diaries was so much fun to read. I may not have loved the ending—for real, I so wish it had gone a different way, ugh—but I loved reading it. I am definitely keeping author Madi Sinha on my radar. I can’t wait to see what she publishes next.

When this book was compared to a cross between Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs, I knew I needed to read it - and what an excellent description that is for this book. I really enjoyed the hospitals scenes and found them so accurate.

I really liked Nora as a character and while I may not be a doctor I found her struggles in the medical field so relatable. She struggles to be a good doctor, balance her family, and try to have some sort of social life.

I think Nora was well rounded as a character. I also really liked the side characters and reading about their patient interactions. I was honestly a little disappointed by the ending of the book because I feel like it came out of left field and blind-sighted me. It made me sad because I was really rooting for the story to wrap up and end a certain way.

HOWEVER, I still recommend this books - especially to those that work in the medical field, like all things involving healthcare, or just a good drama.

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley, and Madi Sinha for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. The White Coat Diaries is out 8/15.

Being a medical resident is definitely not easy. Being a medical resident and having a life sounds darn near impossible.

Oh, Norah. She’s not just a medical resident, she’s also the never-even-dated daughter of a well-known Indian pediatrician who passed away years ago in an auto accident. So no pressure, but she’s supposed to be an obedient, married Indian daughter to her mother, and a brilliant doctor to carry on her father’s legacy. For a few minutes, she thinks she’s on the right track. She graduated and got a coveted medical residency, and even thinks there’s romantic chemistry with the handsome and successful chief resident.

Norah does what she thinks she has to in order to ensure her success and that of the man she wants to fall in love with. Unfortunately, drastic actions taken for the wrong reasons don’t stay feeling good over time.

This book was interesting in its depiction of Norah’s medical residency, and the lives of the other residents. While this book was presented as fiction, the way the medical staff referred to some of the patients was a little disappointing. Overall, I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It would be recommended for those who enjoy medical dramas or Indian fiction.

In this debut novel, written by a physician, we get a close-up-and-personal view of the life of a medical intern through the eyes and experiences of Norah Kapadia, MD. While occasionally funny, this too-true look at the frenetic, intense year of internship is frequently disturbing as well, and a huge ethical lapse made me lose respect for all the characters involved. It's a quick and absorbing read, but definitely does not paint a rosy picture of the state of medical education in the US.

Being a doctor is what Norah Kapadia is all she's ever wanted to be, but on her first day as an intern she is ready to quit. Overwhelmed she questions being a doctor. With her family being no help for encouragement if only to encourage her to be the "perfect Indian daughter". Ethan Cantor is the kind of doctor she aspires to be. He's easy going and charming, with the patients and her. When a medical mistake is made fatal, how far will Norah go to keep a secret?


The White Coat Diaries was such an exciting read. It was compared to Grey's Anatomy in the description so I had to have it. I'm a huge Grey's Anatomy fan and it did not disappoint. I loved all the hospital fast flow and I really loved Norah. She wants to be the best she can as a doctor but she also struggles. With her family, social life, and the high pace of what it takes to be a doctor, it is hard on her. She is a very rounded out character with love toward her family, but also frustration. Even all the side characters (other interns) were fun to read. As well as the patients, you really feel connected to them.


Although I loved about 85% of the book, I did not care for the ending. It almost felt like a left turn for me. I was rooting for one ending and got blindsided by one I did not expect. In this case, I did not like. Also Ethan, I could not stand him. I did agree with him and the way he viewed patients though.


That being said, I do definitely recommend. Especially if you like doctor stuff! It had a great balance of doctor life, family, friends, and drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a gifted copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own. Due to the author's response to a blogger for DNFing this book, I won't be rating this book.

It's more of a women's fiction novel about her journey in residency. I think it shows the ups and downs of a medical resident but there's not much beyond that. I felt there were a lot of loose ends that did not get addressed.

As an Indian in Canada, I was hoping to like this book and get a look into the American Indian upbringing of a doctor. But I can't go beyond 20% unfortunately. I love reading books with Indian characters but I do not like it when women are portrayed as whiny and always concerned about "what will people think". It does not give anyone a good impression of a culture and only encourages such stereotypical ideas of people who have an Indian upbringing.

Norah is a doctor and in the middle of a work event, her mom calls her wondering if she is having a heart attack and rather than call the ambulance Norah chose to drive 1.5 hours to her mom! I don't see the logic of this, even less coming from a doctor herself.