In this debut memoir, a retired United States Army Captain recounts the professional and personal hardships she endured as a military medical resident… Neighbors is unquestionably a skilled writer; she delivers wonderfully concise passages that breezily take readers through years of residency while succinctly clarifying various medical conditions and hospital roles (with a glossary as a bonus addendum). An uncompromising probe into the medical industry fused with an honest account of mental illness.

Category:
Biography
TOO MUCH chronicles life on the brink—the brutal reality of medical residency, the toll of family dysfunction, and the harrowing battle for sanity—from navigating professional gaslighting and personal betrayal to confronting the depths of mental illness and addiction in a quest for truth and freedom.
“An uncompromising probe into the medical industry fused with an honest account of mental illness.” —Kirkus Reviews
TOO MUCH opens with Cindy, a medical student in Hawaii, on the cusp of a dream career and a promising marriage. But the illusion shatters when her fiancé, Paul, faces a court-martial, exposing a hidden past and forcing Cindy to confront unsettling truths about trust, loyalty, and the pervasive culture of an unforgiving system. The revelation of his conviction, followed by the tragic loss of her father and her own escalating struggles as a resident, plunges Cindy into a spiral of self-doubt and paranoia.
This wasn’t the first time life had delivered a harsh blow. From a childhood marked by a “half-built house” and an unpredictable mother, to an earlier suicide attempt at fourteen, Cindy learned to compartmentalize. In TOO MUCH, she peels back the layers of a life lived striving for external validation, revealing the inner chaos of bullying, sham peer review, and systemic gaslighting. As a female, minority, and underrepresented physician, she grapples with the unique pressures of identity in a demanding profession. The weight of her journey—which includes therapy, art, and journaling as vital lifelines—forces her to confront deep-seated mental health challenges and battle addiction.
Told with unflinching honesty and a physician’s keen eye, TOO MUCH is Dr. Cindy Lee Neighbors’ gripping story of fighting for integrity in a system that often prioritizes optics over ethics. From the frantic pace of the operating room to the chilling reality of a psychiatric ward, Neighbors confronts her demons, unearths buried truths, and ultimately reclaims her voice.
Kirkus Reviews
Challenging but rewarding, Cindy Lee Neighbors’s TOO MUCH is an incisive memoir of the soul-crushing dysfunction of both medical and military culture in the US. Neighbors’s story will be enlightening if not outright shocking… It’s a privileged peek at the dysfunction of the Army (and of hospital staff) in ways that are unsurprising but still uncomfortable for those who cleave to those American cultural myths… TOO MUCH strikes a successful balance: the reader sees this progression, and appreciates Neighbors’ flaws and mistakes, but still cares about her… Despite its apparent simplicity, TOO MUCH manages to subtly and powerfully negotiate the challenges of memoir. Its critiques of institutional cultures—especially medical and military cultures—are built on a solid foundation of empathy for its flawed but honest narrator.
Dan Accardi for IndieReader
TOO MUCH is a raw and unflinching look at one woman’s journey through the challenges of medical training, mental health struggles, and finding her own voice. It’s a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration, understanding, and a reminder that they’re not alone in their struggles.
USA TODAY
I really liked this memoir, and I read A LOT of memoirs as it is my favorite genre. This book emotionally grabbed me right from the start. As someone who spent some of my childhood years in Hawaii on the Naval Base there, I was immediately drawn to the story and I never looked back. I basically read the book in one sitting because I needed to know what happened and I was interested in the author’s life I am glad that the author published the book despite her reservations about doing so and I hope that she is doing well in her life now.
Catherine Gee on Goodreads
brave. bold. beautiful.
I don’t typically read indie memoir… I was selected as an ARC reader for this author’s children’s book debut, but I grabbed a copy of her memoir because I was curious and skimmed the reviews. I really think the book is genre-breaking in terms of blending and challenging conventional memoir. Kudos to her. Check out her debut children’s book if you have kids! Dr. Neighbors is a powerhouse!!! I hope she goes on to do great things for the bookish community!
Girls Bookish Reads on Goodreads
Cindy Lee Neighbors
Stories that Heal, Inspire, and Spark Imagination
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Cindy Lee Neighbors has led an extraordinary journey from pageant stages and Hollywood sets to Army operating rooms and beyond. A former Miss Teen Asian International and graduate of the University of Southern California’s theater program, she appeared in commercials, music videos, and TV shows before pursuing a career in military medicine.
As a decorated Army physician, Cindy earned national recognition for her groundbreaking research on reducing opioid prescriptions. Now retired as a Captain, she channels her experiences into storytelling. Her memoir TOO MUCH offers an unflinching look at mental health challenges in military medicine, while her children’s book Benji and Briana Become Booger Doctors introduces young readers to the magic of health and healing.
Cindy is passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and inspiring others through her stories. When not writing, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and scuba diving.
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