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Sandra Cavallo Miller is a retired academic family physician. Little fiction has been written about family medicine or women doctors, and she is on a mission to change that. When not writing, you might find her hiking with a dog, riding a horse, or sitting under a tree studying her favorite hobby, volcanology.
Her writings and poems have been published in JAMA's "A Piece of My Mind," Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine, Under the Sun, and Embark, among others. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona and is transitioning to Oregon to be near family.
Her trilogy about a woman physician at the Grand Canyon Clinic, published by the University of Nevada Press, combines science-based medicine with adventure, geology, and romance.
Do you want to know what your doctor really thinks?
OUT of PATIENTS is the story of middle-aged burned-out Norah Waters MD, who gives herself one more year to find her way back to enjoying her medical career before she quits. Supported by her steadfast dog, a misfit veterinarian, and a pensive radiologist, she wrestles her way through a surprising assortment of obstacles, sometimes amusing and sometimes dreadful, to make a final decision about her future.
BREAKING NEWS: The sequel to OUT of PATIENTS is approved for publication!
In NO MORE PATIENTS, follow Dr. Norah Waters as she attempts to wrap up her practice and deal with her 90-year-old mom, who takes on Sun City in her own determined style. Anticipated release in early 2026.
WHERE NO ONE SHOULD LIVE, a novel, tackles the challenges of a public health physician and enters new territory rarely seen in fiction. Set during a brutally hot summer in Phoenix, the exciting story provides a fresh view of medicine and the tremendous work that goes into keeping us healthy. Tensions climb as a chilling series of unexplained illnesses escalate in clinic staff.
Review for OUT of PATIENTS:
An astutely sensitive depiction of life as a physician … a companionably agreeable novel laced with lightsome humor … readers will appreciate the genuinely sharp insights into the often burdensome world of private medical practice.
A perceptive … tale about a physician's daily struggles. – Kirkus Review
Review for WHERE NO ONE SHOULD LIVE
... Miller is not only an experienced novelist, but also a retired doctor, so readers learn … about local diseases … and drugs both natural and human-made … the book is not just entertaining, but educational as well. Phoenix, with its punishing summer weather beautifully described ("The sky stood dazed, a feeble ruined blue"), is almost a character itself, which perhaps explains the gripping novel's ominous title … An enjoyable tale with plenty of suspense and the bonus of intriguing medical details. - Kirkus Review
And more good news ... the novel What the River Said was a finalist in the 2022 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards!