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Many aspire to be rich and successful doctors who save patients' lives in a rewarding and admirable career. But the reality is far different, as is evident from reading Ita Gold's memoir—an honest portrayal of her grueling commitment, dedication, and perseverance to becoming such a doctor. Now a “tattooed grandmother,” Gold reflects on her storied life as she navigates the complexities of the medical profession alongside motherhood and being a woman.
Written in a linear narrative structure, Gold begins in the early days, when she was born into a Jewish heritage and pressured by her parents to pursue medicine. Initially, medicine didn't appeal to the shy Gold, nor money and fame. As Gold embarks on her years-long medical training, the harsh truths of the profession become jarringly clear, leaving a doubtful Gold feeling as though she isn't “cut in the mold of a doctor.” As a single mother, Gold considers her failed marriage and divorce while grappling with her mother's mental health crisis, plus her ailing grandparents. Despite these challenges, Gold finds a bright spot and a lifetime career in OB/GYN medicine, where delivering babies is fun.
In the second half, Gold's memoir shines as she muses on myriad health, social, and political issues affecting women while regarding the intricate changes throughout the medical profession over time. Richly detailed, Gold's memoir is an accessible, endearing story of her labyrinthine path and continuous struggle for equal footing in a male-dominated society, while finding strength as a woman, a doctor, and a mother. A tenderhearted and candid read, Gold's narrative depicts the stamina required to endure intense medical training, the sacrifices one makes to become a doctor, and the critical lessons learned. By the book's end, Gold fondly remembers a gratifying journey, proud of the culmination and the person she has become today.