At Least You Have Your Health is realistic and compelling women’s fiction that revolves around mainly Maya and also Amelia, and their different views on women’s healthcare. The story is about Indian immigrants, upbringing, hyperparenting, women in medicine, racism, motherhood, work-life balance, women’s health care and healthcare system, and inclusion and diversity.

Writing is compelling, thoughtful, slightly witty, and steady-paced. The story is written in third person narrative from Maya’s perspective. There is occasional Amelia’s POV that tells about her childhood, life and what made her to start Eunoia, a healthcare company for rich women.

Plot is interesting. It started with introduction of Maya, an Indian-American gynecologist, wife and mother of 3 kids and also is main breadwinner of the house as her husband Dean is still doing his PhD along with how she was brought up that made her who she is and what she thinks about education and upbringing of kids. She is doing a lot and works on a tight schedule with drop of three kids to school then 9-5 job at hospital, and pick up of kids at 5. She cannot afford being late. She is also struggling as non-white woman in medicine that is very much patriarchal. A bad day, one incident and her losing her composure force her to leave her job. By chance, she meets Amelia DeGilles, very rich and honored by all elite moms, at private school’s parents meeting who wanted a gynecologist for her concierge medicine company, Eunoia. Charmed by her look and wealth and despite her husband’s doubts Maya joins Eunoia to keep her family financially floating and they actually sail but at a cost.

It was interesting to read how Maya will do in this new job and how being with Amelia and circle of private school moms will change her, how much the change will affect her family and her ethics, will she let go of ethics and what she believed about women’s healthcare to be part of Eunoia and wealthy people, or will she fight for the right thing.

This is character driven story and there is lot happening and is many layers in story than my simplified summary. Maya and Amelia are interesting characters.

I liked Maya. It was easy to empathize with her and her situation. Her childhood story and story of her mother, what made her mother to be obsessed her kids choose money oriented careers is relatable. It is something as Indian I have seen a lot in parents. Almost every other parents are like Maya’s parents. I could understand her feelings and can imagine how alone she must be feeling with her constant struggle to be included in American community when she was subjected to racial inequality at every step and phase of her life.

What I liked most about her is she is doing a lot, juggling life and work, and it’s amazing she does it all without help. I could get why she wanted the best for her kids and didn’t want them to suffer and experience the way she did. It was sad to see her talk about people being mean because of their color with her daughter, Diya, who looked like her more than her other two kids who looked white like her husband. I can see how she was swept up in the race of being on top of everything and wanting respect and honor people like Amelia had. It was sad to see how being in rich white mothers’ circle was changing her, everything she has got and achieved seems less and less important to her and desire to fit in and be included gets so strong that she couldn’t see right and didn’t want to notice its impact on family. I so wanted to shake her and make her see what she is doing.

There is also layer of one horrible incident that caused her trauma and never delivering babies again. I loved how she realised her mistakes around climax, how whole journey made her see the real problem, what she needed to do to have satisfying and content life keeping her ethics and dream balanced, and also helped her in confronting her trauma and take steps toward healing.

Amelia isn’t exactly bad person but you can see early in story that she is highly misguided and all her beliefs are so wrong. Her concierge medicine idea is good but it’s not for normal people, it’s not helping community. It’s for rich people who can afford it, who wanted everything hush hush. The kind of treatments and therapies she offered are highly dubious. Like Dean I will say it’s scamming.

Amelia also had bad childhood but at some point, I felt she is unreliable. The way she is obsessed over her kids’ health and consulted weird therapists and spiritualists to heal even the smallest thing not right in their kids’ health or behavior, is batshit crazy and she refused to see any logic or science behind something wrong with her kid’s health. I also didn’t like the actual reason she hired Maya. It sure makes her bad person in my eyes. But I’m glad she got her lesson in the end. I was just surprised it took so long to get there.

Dean- Maya’s husband and Esther -Maya’s assistant are the most reasonable and wise characters in the story. I liked Dean for being such a supportive husband. Being white he might not really know what Maya felt, her being non-white and looked down by people and all but he is most empathetic person. He listened to her, cheered her, and supported her in their ten years of marriage. He won my heart when he said to Maya he is not impressed by Amelia and her wealth or respect she has but by Maya who is an amazing gynecologist and mother. Maya found his content nature grating but I loved that trait of him and I’m more like him when it comes to seeing where my money is going and why.

Esther is from Haitian immigrant family. She made the story more lighthearted. She is loyal and lovely person and amazing at her job as assistant. I loved her for being wise and telling the truth to Maya when things start to go out of hand. Her reason for being assistant and why she want to study medicine was great.

Best part is all the layers and themes of inclusion, medicine, classism, racism, and women’s healthcare. I liked how author talked about life of immigrants, their struggle in new country with inclusion and racism, how little people know about women’s anatomy and healthcare and how schools and hospitals still use the outdated system when it comes to education on women’s anatomy and sex. I also liked a little bit of medical info and medical history as well which was informative.

The layer of hyper parenting is most thought provoking. Reading all moms and the way they behaved made me think, what’s wrong with parents these days. There is so much competition between them and they all are literally forcing their dreams and beliefs on their kids. One mom (or was it Amelia?) cared about what classes her kid attended and what language the kid learned at age 4! (And here I’m only worried about my kid’s potty training!) It made me think if it’s really necessary to go to prestigious schools and universities? And what about being happy and content? why it is discarded for high paying career? It’s not just American but everywhere in world parents behave this way. My goodness, the way they feed kids with vitamins and superstitious therapy is shocking. They did what the internet said putting their logic and medical proofs aside. It all made me laugh and shake my head in disbelief.

Climax is great. I enjoyed reading everything that happened from this point. The revelation of what was happening to Amelia’s daughter is surprising. The end is amazing and uplifting. I enjoyed how everything changed Maya and her life.

Why 4 stars-

At some point, I felt the story is stuck with pace and I was tired of Maya not seeing what she is doing and how it is changing her and their way of living.

Overall, At Least You Have Your Health is moving, thought-provoking, compelling and steady paced women’s fiction. It’s perfect book club read with many topics to discuss.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy,
Steady paced story
women’s fiction
Women in STEM
theme of inclusion, diversity, racism, classism
layer of hyper parenting, immigrant life, PTSD
topic of women’s healthcare

THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK. At Least You Have Your Health by Madi Sinha is an exceptional book. It has been a long, long time since I have read such an engaging Women's Fiction novel like this one. Many thanks to Berkley Pub for inviting me to review this gem! 5/5 ⭐

Gosh, the drama and the suspense in At Least You Have Your Health were everything! The book is a medical drama with a very, very clever plot. I loved every moment of reading it. ALYHYH 's storyline revolves around how flawed and overlooked the Women's Healthcare System is. The author did an amazing job of highlighting different issues in a very thoughtful manner. The book had so many layers - I could honestly talk about it for hours! 💕

Maya's character arc was so intricately woven. As a South Asian, I related to her struggles with having an academically enriched life. Her relationship with her parents was so thoughtfully written. Maya's activities were unlikeable at times, but honestly, it was understandable. She made me angry, but I also shared a sense of empathy with her. The storyline was complex and there were important lessons all along the way. The battle of alternative VS Scientific medicine is nothing new, but this book made me look into the matter from various different angles. Maya's kids were absolutely adorable! I loved how she taught them the importance of knowing about the anatomy of your bodies. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. Also, Dean, Maya's handsome was just so amazing. Seeing him support her through everything was just so wholesome. :')

The book represented the themes of sexism, colorism, and motherhood perfectly. One thing I particularly loved is how the author showcased how Maya and Esther had different experiences with racism even though both of them were women of color. It was very eye-opening! I was invested in the storyline from the first chapter, and I couldn't stop until I read the very last line. Madi Sinha's writing has a very addicting touch. I have become a huge fan. If you are a fan of Laura Hankin's novels, I am pretty sure you will love Madi Sinha's books too.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. This did not affect my rating.

*3.5/5 *

This book takes on sexism, racism, multi-cultural family dynamics, conservative vs. alternative medicine in an honest way; the highs and lows, the trials and errors.

In At Least You Have Your Health we are introduced to Dr. Maya Rao, the mother of three young children, wife, and gynecologist at a busy Philadelphia hospital. Maya is a no nonsense doctor, she wants women’s health to be talked about in plain words, and for everyone to be educated about their bodies. She is vocal about this. One day, running late, things in Maya’s work life comes to a head when an entitled patient won’t listen to medical advice. With her career at the hospital being threatened and her morals being tested, Maya walks away from it all and ends up working at a private concierge health practice - with the wealthy and seemingly picture-perfect Amelia DeGilles (ADG for short). She sees patients at their homes, in airport bathrooms, literally wherever because of the exorbitant cost of being a patient at Euonia.

Maya’s home life – which started out hectic but loving – turns a little sour as disagreements with her husband Dean start to pop up here and there about this new job, her employer, the medicine itself.
Maya starts to want more, to send her kids to private schools and private nurseries, ordering a meal prep service, start taking expensive supplements (even though the drugstore brand would be just fine). Dean doesn’t mind not being rich, he doesn’t mind if they have to give up a few things to make ends meet.

I wasn’t sure what to think going into this book, but it was like a concierge medical practice Grey’s Anatomy, without the hooking-up in the on-call rooms. Some of the quick one-off cases were funny – crystal stuck in an orifice, etc. The two big cases were fascinating and troubling all in their own ways. The talk about women’s health was great. Our bodies are not shameful and we should be learning all about them from a younger age.

The writing was enjoyable, I kept turning the pages to see what kind of medical issue was going to happen next! I would definitely check out other books by this author in the future.

The blurb caught my attention, and the book lived up to my expectations.

Maya Rao is a flawed, yet relatable character. Sinha addresses a number of relevant issues, including sexism, racism, and the popularity of alternative medicine. Maya struggles with the work/home life balance, which will likely resonate with readers. There is a bit of mystery involved, as well, which I wasn't expecting but enjoyed. The pace was a bit slow at the beginning, but it picked up as the story unfolded. Secondary characters were well developed and utilized, and there was significant growth with them, as well as with the main characters.

This book is one that provides entertainment, but it's a bit serious, as well, so it's a nice mix. As someone who lives with chronic pain, I've spent plenty of time in doctor's offices during my lifetime, and I loved the quote: "talk to the patients and learn about their lives. Try to find out how you can be useful to them...Center the patient, not yourself." If only all doctors had that philosophy!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for gifting me a digital copy of the wonderful novel by Madi Sinha. I was a huge fan of White Coat Diaries and I loved this one too - 5 stars!

Dr Maya Rao is a gynecologist and mother of 3 young children, trying to do it all but never feeling like it's enough. When an encounter with an important patient goes wrong and she has to leave the hospital where she has spent her entire career, she feels lost. Amelia, another mother at the exclusive school where her oldest daughter attends, talks her into joining her practice of concierge medicine for wealthy clients. But Maya may have to sacrifice her values in order to do Amelia's bidding.

I loved this book - this would be the perfect book club selection for moms who are trying to do it all and feeling like a failure at every turn. Add to that this book's topics of colorism, classism, sexism - there's a lot to talk about! In addition, we see how culture and family background/expectations follow and change Maya's core. But she is so relatable - I'm not sure I've laughed harder at the car wash and cloth diaper scenes! This is definitely a must read book!

To be honest, if this book hadn't been offered to me, I wouldn't have read it because it's a book outside my comfort zone. I must say that I liked it, it was interesting and it reminded me a bit of Grey's Anatomy.

Maya Rao is a gynecologist trying to balance her family life with her work. However, she must leave the hospital where she works because of a problem with a patient. Fortunately, she gets another opportunity, one where she meets Amelia DeGilles, but of course, Amelia hides secrets.

I liked the plot pacing, and the book talks about new things that I didn't know. As I said, it reminded me a bit of a medical drama/series episode. But of course, not everything is about medicine, but also family. I enjoyed seeing the strong bond between Maya's family, they're very close, and that's because of her great work as a mother and her husband's support.

I have no more words to say about the book. It was a different story, and you should read it if you are interested in the plot.

Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Madi Sinha for a digital ARC of At Least You Have Your Health!

This is one of those books that grips you right from the start. Thrust into the exclusive Hamilton Hall school, the hot gossip between mothers focuses on the new mom, Maya Rao, and how she managed to attract the attention of the legendary Amelia DeGilles. What follows is the story of Maya Rao, a devoted mother and gynecologist, who finds herself in a precarious situation at work and in her personal life, remedied by a stroke of luck. After walking out of her city hospital after a nasty encounter with a patient, Maya finds relief from all her worries becoming a concierge gynecologist for wealthy women at Eunoia Women’s Health, owned by Amelia. Eunoia goes against everything Maya stands for, providing alternative health treatments not rooted in science and fact, but the ability to be more present in her children’s lives makes her put her morals aside and join the elitist clinic.

I absolutely loved this story. Learning more about Maya and her childhood, seeing how she was affected being the daughter of Indian immigrants, and how she copes with all the unwanted pressure of being an outsider in her own town, it is easy to get sucked into her story. At every twist and turn I wanted to shake Maya and get her to snap out of it! It reads almost like a mystery, pulling back the layers of the elusive Amelia, all while Maya navigates her own hectic life as a mother of 3, wife, breadwinner for her family, and doctor.

This book deals with very real issues like racism, sexism, and motherhood in a very real-world way, and just pulls at your heart strings. I cannot recommend this book enough. I couldn’t put it down! Plus, the very accurate descriptions of human anatomy from her children made me laugh out loud.

At Least You Have Your Health releases on April 5th in print and e-book!

A little info about the author. As a practicing physician herself, Sinha’s upcoming novel comments on the need for improved women’s healthcare and education, and she encourages readers to take a closer look at the good and the bad of the wellness trends that are so prevalent in our society.

What I liked about this book is that it does make you think about women’s healthcare, and how often we are not considered, even by female doctors. I know I have experienced it myself, especially not being listened to. I also liked that the main character was trying to organise proper education to kids in school about their bodies.

SPOILERS AHEAD

What I didn't like.

I understood why she accepted the job, with a mortgage to pay and kids to feed, you don’t always have the flexibility to wait for the perfect job. However, when she started working for Eunoia, Maya tosses most of her values aside. This strong, educated, doctor, begins to pander to women with no medical knowledge whatsoever. After all her fighting at the start of the book about education, she allowed people to continue believing in various snake oils and treatments and said little to nothing. It was infuriating to read.

While I didn’t like the journey Maya took to get to her end destination, I did love her ending, it made all the frustration in the middle of the book worth the read.

Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for the digital ARC.

At Least You Have Your Health is one of those books where, as I was reading, I had to tell my friends about it. It's one of those, "can you believe what I'm reading?!" kind of books. Not only was I shocked - but not surprised - about how little these characters know about women's bodies and health, but also the ways that misinformation can spread. At Least You Have Your Health is one of those books which completely captivates you. Have you ever read a book where you just wanna scream a bit at a character?

That was me and Maya. Because while we can see the position she's put in as a woman of color who was taught to always want more and their financial position, you're like, "MAYA!!". Wanting to do that means that the author has done their job in moving you. The whole time I was conflicted between knowing exactly how Maya feels as she falls into this situation of never being content, while also being so wrapped up. So, not going to lie, maybe there's a piece of myself which can see how this could easily have been me.

(4.5/5 stars)
I loved this book so much! It’s about a gynecologist who finds herself working at a “concierge luxury medicine” business where extremely wealthy women get all kinds of weird treatments — many of which they simply read about online and “heard were great for [insert random thing here].”

There also were themes of education about health, and specifically women’s health, throughout the book, as well as the theme of examining privilege and race, all of which were tied into the story seamlessly.

It was funny and entertaining, with a gripping plot that I couldn’t put down. I loved the characters as well—they drove the story and came to life on the page. It was such a great read and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House for the digital ARC of this book.

I honestly didn't enjoy reading this book for the most part. I did laugh at situations, and I identified with the experience of being a working mom.

I will say that this book was interesting and I appreciated its keen examination on alternate medicine and class and race. Perfect for readers of "Such a Fun Age" and "Big Little Lies" or of the podcast "Maintenance Phase."

Some of the characters and scenes were over the top, almost unbelievable. All characters except maybe Esther were extremely unlikeable, although they were all multi-faceted and very complex.

I did appreciate how everything wrapped up, including the medical mysteries. The ending was the strongest part of the book.

I think a Content Warning regarding traumatic birth would be wise.

What a terrific read this is! Sinha gently takes on the "wellness" industry of crystals, supplements, and other things that don't have scientific support, through the story of Dr. Maya Rao, a gynecologist who finds herself wrapped into the profitable world after she stands up for herself (and others) at the hospital where she works. The daughter of immigrants and mom of three, she's married to Dean who is working on a Phd while teaching at the University. She's managing a lot, admittedly not always as well as she could, but she's doing her best. And then comes the hateful horrible VIP patient who leads her to quit and go to work for Amelia, whose company Eunonia is concierge medicine for the Goop set. Now Maya is dealing with other high end women notably the pregnant daughter of a Congressman. Maya doesn't deliver babies any more - she says it's because the hours didn't work for her with hung kids but....And then there's Prom, Amelia's daughter, who has something going off in her body, but what? I adored this book for the very real people (her kids! Dean! The lady with the crystal!), the very fun scenes (the car wash!), and the sad ones as well. We should all have a colleague like Esther. It's a wonderfully written emotionally resonant novel with a great protagonist and a zippy plot that kept me guessing. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Highly recommend.

Gynecologist Maya Rao is floundering. Frustrated with the lack of education about women's health and the bureaucracy of hospital work, struggling to balance work and family, and worn down by constant micro- and macro- aggressions in all areas of her life, she needs a change. When the hospital fails to support her after a confrontation with a wealthy patient, Maya says enough is enough and walks out... and into the surreal world of concierge medicine. But as she caters to the whims of the rich and privileged, will Maya be able to hold onto her ideals? Or will she be lost to the promise of wealth and prestige?

Sinha's writing is sharp and funny, with incisive commentary on everything from the seductive lure of alternative medicine to socioeconomic divides to familial dynamics and the ways trauma is unintentionally passed down generations. The plot trajectory is predictable but satisfyingly so — who doesn't enjoy a good The Devil Wears Prada-esque tale of rags to riches to self-acceptance? My main hurdle getting into the book was understanding how a gynecologist — particularly one who is so invested in promoting awareness and helping women understand their bodies as Maya is — could know nothing about "wellness culture." I can only assume that Goop doesn't exist in this world because, while I understand Maya is barely keeping her head above water, I can't imagine that her assistant, Esther, wouldn't know what's up. However, it's precisely because Sinha does so well establishing all the ways Maya is struggling — and all of the ways she, as the daughter of immigrants, has always longed for assimilation — that I was eventually able to believe the way she's roped into a culture that goes against everything she believes in.

At Least You Have Your Health is not a book I'd typically pick up on my own, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. While my blood pressure did go up during some of the passages related to Maya's work (because I know there are people who are this tragically misinformed and happily buying the snake oil), it was very fun. Sinha has a gift for wry humor, and the bits with Maya's loud, boisterous children had me laughing out loud. Likewise, the conversations with Esther and with Maya's husband were entertaining while also cutting to the heart of real issues, like the ways two women of color (Maya and Esther) can still have very different experiences of racism in the U.S. and how a person or family (Maya and Dean) answer the question, "When will it be enough?"

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great adult contemporary read! I really liked the writing. And I would definitely recommend this to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Attention all girl boss skeptics — add this one to your TBR!

🌿 REVIEW: At Least You Have Your Health 🌿

By Madi Sinha

📖 SUMMARY: Dr. Maya Rao is a gynecologist trying to juggle her full-time career with being an involved wife and mother, which involves enrolling her oldest in an exclusive private school. It’s there during a parents’ meeting that she crosses paths with Amelia DeGillies, the owner of Eunoia, a concierge health & wellness clinic for only the most wealthy & elite. Amelia offers her a job, and Maya is reluctant, but she accepts after she suddenly finds herself in need of a new job. The clients pay thousands of dollars for things that have no evidence of working and might even be detrimental to their health, so It doesn’t take long for Maya to become seriously skeptical of the “treatments” that her new employer offers…

💭 THOUGHTS: I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I was thoroughly pleased by the story! I always appreciate a good story about a women struggling to be both a full-time mom and a full-time career woman, and this one really explored that concept with plenty of marriage arguments, money problems, and young kids that you love but also kind of want to shut in a closet. I LOVED the concept of this concierge luxury wellness clinic, where the doctors make house calls and give their client whatever they want, even if that’s a “healing” crystal with a price tag of $2k. (If you’re really into the crystal thing, maybe don’t read this one. 😂) The criticism of girl boss culture and interesting plot made this one a good read for me!

Thank you to @ netgalley and @ Berkleypub for the arc. This one comes out on April 5!

✨ RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you loved the social commentary of THE HUSBANDS and feel a lil 🤨 about health & wellness trends

I liked that the main character of this story is a married woman with three children - and that she is successfully able to follow a career and be a mom. Her life represents the reality of a working mom - the representation is not perfect. The story references how she strives to be better than the family situation she comes from. In the story she learns how in her desire to be 'better' she is leaving behind what she believes to be important.

This book took me completely by surprise! It covered racial and cultural topics, feminism, and healthcare in such a relatable way that I couldn't help myself and cried "Yes! Thank you" while reading. Writing is amazing, the main character is smart and strong, but at the same, she is only human and we were able to follow character development and how and why she made her choices. The story had some interesting twists that kept me wondering "what actually happened?", and some great humor and sarcasm. It was also very educational and I honestly think that everyone should read it.
Thank you so much, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a free copy.

At Least You Have Your Health examines women's health, wellness culture, and class through a critical, but hilarious lens. Protagonist Maya goes through a startling revolution when she begins working at a luxury health practice and she must balance doing what she knows is right with her desire to fit in, work autonomously, and cope with the pressures of being a working mother. I really enjoyed this title, Maya's journey, and the rest of the characters antics that lead to Maya's ultimate triumph.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

**Many thanks to Shelf Awareness, Berkley, NetGalley, and Madi Sinha for an ARC of this book!**

Witty, emotional, heartfelt, intelligent, and ever-surprising...this stunner from Madi Sinha drew me in from page one and didn't let up till its twisty and fabulous end!

Dr. Maya Rao is SOMEwhat of your typical gynecologist and requisite Super Mom. She juggles three kids, a husband, and a busy life at her hospital What sets her apart from the average doctor, however, is her inability to deal with nonsense...and it is this same refusal to acquiesce to a snotty and high-maintenance patient that ultimately causes her to walk away from her position at the hospital and seek new horizons. She has gotten her oldest into the fancy-pants school in town and feels out of place with her Honda 'Hotessy' and feels the sneers of the snobby mothers around her burning holes in her back...UNTIL Maya makes the acquaintance of Amelia: wealthy, picture-perfect owner of Eunoia, a clinic that functions as a private concierge health service, where doctors travel to the rich and privileged, who often put more faith in alternative medicine via crystals and fish oil than Western medicine backed by science and fact, and get treated THEIR way.

This seems diametrically opposed to everything Maya stands for, as her dream is to have women actually INFORMED about the realities about their own bodies rather than relying on hearsay and theories...but she can't turn away from the opportunity, and after convincing her former assistant and med student Esther to join her, she gets fully engrossed in the medical and personal lives of the Wealthy and Powerful. When her close bond with Amelia's daughter, Prem, and a client who is insistent on a very specific (and very dangerous) way of giving birth lead her to question everything she holds dear, will Maya speak up when Amelia would have her stay silent? Is this new career path really what she wants...and just how much is she willing to compromise to keep going down this road? And will a secret from her past hold her captive and powerless, JUST when her misguided client needs her most....when a situation truly spirals to be a matter of life and death?

I'm not sure what I was expecting coming into this read...all I know is by the end of the third chapter or so, I knew this was going to be one of my favorite reads of the year...and now that I've finished it, my hunch was absolutely ON POINT! Sinha's wit sparkles from the very beginning, and she had me chuckling out loud and nodding my head emphatically from the very start. I am so grateful to have read this book as a mom, because not only was it utterly relatable, but I had such a different perspective on the OB-GYN world after having a child that really informed my perspective. Don't be fooled--this book is funny and fun at times, but it doesn't shy away from heavy topics, and the reflections on everything from the daily grind of motherhood to the effects of the patriarchy on the medical system to the wealth gap are ALL explored here, and I think this would be a perfect book for book club discussion. I never thought about the pros and cons of concierge care, but since Sinha comes from the medical world, her words are thoughtful and authentic, and will certainly get you reflecting on what care truly entails, and what an efficient and patient-centered system COULD look like...in a different world.

Although I may have been gritting my teeth in frustration at Maya's actions at times throughout the book, Sinha's characters are all absolutely FANTASTIC! From Maya's hilarious four year old to her patient yet frustrated husband, every side player has a purpose and all of them felt truly real and necessary to the narrative. The slight implausibility of some of the characters' actions throughout is one of the only things that kept this from being a solid 5 star read for me, but we all have people in our lives that at times can't see the forest for the trees...at least temporarily. All this aside, Maya couldn't get to where she lands at the end of the story without these trials and all of the soul searching, so that alone makes her motivations clear.

Of course, this whole book hinges on the discussion of women's healthcare, a topic too often overlooked, and one that certainly deserves a megaphone and a spotlight, particularly in this day and age. Though the system at large fails us all, it disproportionately affects women and even more so, women of color, and Sinha's message is loud and clear. All of Maya's visions for the future in the industry aren't simply pie-in-the-sky idealism, and there has never been a better time for change than the present moment. I applaud her for bringing these insights and revelations into the mainstream in a fresh and accessible way, and hopefully inspiring her readers to help BE the change we all wish to see in the medical world.

This book is Women's Fiction the way it was meant to be: like the best women you've ever known, this one is bold, funny, clever, profound, strong...and in a class all its own!

4.5 stars