At age six, Rajani LaRocca read the picture book Ouch! All About Cuts and Other Hurts (Scholastic, 1978) and wanted to be a doctor. After earning her undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard and working as a primary care physician, she also began writing her own books for young readers. Now, with three titles forthcoming in 2026, she’ll have published 23 books. LaRocca makes her YA debut with Such Great Heights (Quill Tree, Aug.), the parallel story of New Jersey teenager Siya Kumar and Sita, a mythic figure in Hindu literature. We spoke with LaRocca about turning to YA and showing care as a doctor and writer.

You’ve written picture, chapter, and middle grade books. Why did you decide to pivot to YA?

I feel strongly that you shouldn’t write in a particular category unless there’s a story that asks for it. This one has been rattling around in my head for years. I knew it would be set in high school with more mature themes, and I wanted it to be about truth-telling and mock trial, so YA was the right way to write it.

Siya explains that her name is a version of Sita, whom she describes as “woman, mother, wife, Queen, goddess.” Which came first for you—girl or goddess?

I started with the teenage girl struggling with the Hindu goddess. My grandmother was named Sita, and when I told her, “Maybe I’ll name my daughter after you someday,” she said, “No. That name comes with too much trouble.” I realized she was right. Why does anybody name their daughter after Sita? I felt it was a sad story when I was a child. As an adult, this is my attempt to make sense of it.

Siya’s integrity is her North Star, but many YA characters lack her direction. How does Siya compare with the typical teenager?

Teens in general tend to be hopeful that they can make a difference. They have a strong sense of right and wrong. Siya is trying to live up to a legacy. Her mother died several years earlier. In that situation, you make up what you think that person was like. That’s what Siya brings to this story.

As an adult writing for children, one advantage is that you understand the world is nuanced: things happen, good and bad, to people who don’t deserve them. Much of life is figuring out how to deal with that. As a writer, though I’m making up events, I want them to feel realistic. But the emotions in this book are definitely autobiographical. If you tell the truth in terms of the emotional arc, then the circumstances can be whatever you want them to be. The truth is in the feelings.

You’ve said there are similarities in being a doctor and being an author. What are they, and how do you balance the two professions?

Both take a long time to get good at, and you keep learning. In the 25 years I’ve been a primary care doctor, I’ve learned more than I did during medical school and residency. The same is true with writing. At first, I just wanted to publish, then I had to write the next book. I thought it would get easier, but every book is a completely different beast. It's a continuing-to-learn kind of journey.

In both medicine and writing, there’s a fascination for and love for people. As a doctor, I help in any way that I can. As a writer, characters pop into my head, and I have to tell their story. In terms of balance, the “how” changes over time. I used to wake up early and stay up late. When my kids were in piano lessons, I was in the lobby typing. You set yourself a goal. Some things are easy. Others are a challenge, like drafting a new novel, so I do that first thing in the morning. Sometimes the busiest days are my best writing days. When I only have 45 minutes, I’ll just do it.

If we’re fortunate, life is long, with time to explore what fascinates you. Many things interest me: politics and government, writing and music. One turned into a second career. At school visits, I tell kids I have an entire first career, then I started the second one. I didn’t know if I’d be successful, but I had to try.

Such Great Heights by Rajani LaRocca. Quill Tree, $19.99 Aug. 11; ISBN 978-0-06-329687-9