Release Date: Tuesday, May 19th, 2026
Get your copy by clicking on simonandschuster.com
Get your copy by clicking on simonandschuster.com
Synopsis of "Deepa, M.D. " by Priya Swaminathan:
Twelve-year-old Deepa is determined to start living again. After a year in the hospital, she’s more than ready for life to return to normal—before she got sick.
Except normal doesn’t exist anymore. Her parents hover over her like she might break, a school bully seems determined to make her miserable, and her best friend Renée has moved on without her.
Then Deepa’s Uncle Jai—a brilliant, notoriously difficult doctor known as the “Sherlock Holmes” of medical mysteries—asks for her help solving a baffling case involving a teenage patient. Deepa jumps at the chance. After all, she knows what it’s like to be the one stuck in a hospital bed.
There’s just one problem: her first patient is her bully’s older brother.
As the mystery deepens and Deepa’s own illness begins to flare up again, she realizes that saving her patient may mean confronting the one case she’s been avoiding—herself.
Priya Swaminathan spent two decades working in film and television before turning to writing for children. Alongside her writing career, she is pursuing a new path in medicine by studying nursing at UCLA. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and still hopes to convince her husband that they should get a dog someday.
1. Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked the story?
As a kid, I loved learning about how our bodies worked – and what happened when they didn’t. I grew up and started making movies, but that curiosity stayed with me. When my daughter wound up in the hospital, I was struck by how hard it was for her to describe what she was going through. Over time, she learned how to talk about pain, anxiety, and lots of other things happening in her body. It was powerful to see her find her footing. That’s when Deepa, M.D. started to pour onto the page.
2. Are there any supporting characters who surprised you during development?
Manu became one of my favorite characters as he took shape on the page. Me and him are cut from the same cloth. He plays a big role in the second book in the series, which comes out Spring 2027!
3. What was your writing schedule when you wrote Deepa M.D.?
I’m a morning person, so I wake up before everyone else and get in whatever writing time I can. Thanks to a really supportive husband and family, I was able to sneak off on my own and get in longer days when I needed to drill down and meet deadlines.
4. How long did it take you to write the first draft?
Two and a half years…maybe three. I had many missteps along the way. The draft really started to gel when Lilly Gharemani from Full Circle Literary took a chance on me. She gave clutch feedback that made the draft a kajillion times stronger before sharing it with Dainese Santos at Simon & Schuster. Lucky for me, Dainese saw a spark in that early draft – and rolled up her sleeves to transform it into the final book!
5. What do you hope viewers learn from Deepa’s journey?
We all go through tough times we want to wish away. Looking back, many of those experiences changed me in big, sometimes beautiful, ways. In Deepa, M.D., the main character learns how to draw strength from the worst thing that’s ever happened to her. I hope her story sheds a little light on how tough times can give you unexpected superpowers.
But more than anything, I hope this book makes kids laugh. In these uncertain times, it can be the best medicine.
6. Can audiences expect more stories featuring Deepa?
YES! The next installment of Deepa, M.D. comes out Spring 2027. I can’t wait to for you to read it!
7. If (or when) Deepa M.D. becomes a film or TV series, would you consider writing the screenplay for it?
Never! If I win the lottery and someone wants to bring it to screen, I’d leave that to the pros
8. You stated that your favorite movies are scary films. Besides, “The Shining”, what is your next favorite film?
I like spooky and supernatural stuff more than gore. Weapons, Hereditary, and Ringu are some of my favorites. I have a soft spot for Blair Witch Project because I saw it in high school and totally thought it was real. It scared the stuffing out of me.
9. Could you talk about your experience working on the book-based series “Ada Twist, Scientist”?
Ada Twist, Scientist was the first animated series I worked on. I was lucky enough to be part of a team that included brilliant folks like Kerri Grant (writer/showrunner), Chris Nee (writer/showrunner), and Heather Tilert, who leads Kids + Family Series at Netflix. I learned so much from them about how to tell emotional, action-packed, and meaningful stories to kids.
10. Could you talk about your experience working with Former U.S. President Barack and Former First Lady Michelle Obama at Higher Ground Productions?
It was an honor and a joy to work for Barack and Michelle at Higher Ground. They know how powerful a well-told story is and pushed me to do my best work. I’m proud to have been a part of films like Crip Camp and kids’ shows like We the People.
11. Did you make a cameo in any of your TV/ film projects? If not, why didn’t you?
I’m a behind-the-scenes human…but I do appear in the credits of one project I got to be a part of. It’s up to you to dig it out of the attic!
12. If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be?
This is the best question ever. Assuming I can defy the laws of logic…
1) David Bowie so I could soak up some wisdom about how he stayed uncompromisingly himself.
2) Judy Heumann to learn how fight for what you care about no matter who tells you it’s impossible.
3) Oliver Sacks because he’s the G.O.A.T. when it comes to medical mysteries.
13. Last question, what was your favorite book when you were a kid?
I hate picking favorites (chocolate and vanilla are both delicious!), but two books that lived on my nightstand as a kid were All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I’ve always been a sucker for deeply flawed characters with big, huge open hearts.
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