Dowagiac author returns for book reading, signing – Leader Publications

DOWAGIAC — A Dowagiac native returned to her roots Monday to share her story of hope and healing.

The Olympia Books, 208 S. Front St., Dowagiac, welcomed Faruqui Monday for a special book signing event for her memoir titled “Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief.” In addition to the book signing, Faruqui also had a reading and Q&A session at the Beckwith Theatre.

A USA Today National Bestseller, Keep Your Head Up tells the story of Faruqui’s experience as a pediatrician and a parent to a terminally ill child. The memoir provides guidance and hope to other parents and caregivers of sick children who are navigating elusive diagnoses and emotional turmoil.

Dozens of community members – many of which former classmates and teachers – attended the events. Faruqui had copies of her book for sale and signing. 

“It’s actually been wonderful and incredible,” she said. “I think that with writing a memoir and revisiting every aspect of my life, this does feel very full circle.”

Faruqui described her memoir as “very raw and open” and admits she is often surprised, wondering what people thought of the content and if they were surprised by what was going on with her or her family. 

“The lens and the perspective that the community has is one that I find to be probably the most important,” she said. “Someone here asked me how this compares to a stranger reading the book. It’s almost like I’m actually more nervous about the critics and the people that know me versus a stranger.”

A 1999 graduate of Dowagiac Union High School and Berrien County Math and Science Center, Dr. Faruqui graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a bachelor of science degree in biopsychology and cognitive science in December 2002 before ​​graduating from medical school at Midwestern University’s Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2008.

She was named a top doctor by Cincinnati Magazine in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Her family was the subject of a recent documentary created by Make-A-Wish, which won a 2024 Emmy Award in the Human Interest Short or Long Form Content category and has been viewed online thousands of times.

Faruqui is humbled and honored by the community’s positive reception of the book and highlighted the importance of her education in the Dowagiac Union Schools district.

“I feel very strongly that my education here was wonderful and incredible,” she said. “To have the same people that taught me not only reading my book and supporting it, but also getting the word out to the community, is special. I had former classmates, my first grade teacher, and my boss from my first job when I was 16, all show up. They all had comments saying, ‘I had no idea this is the way you were feeling,’ or, ‘I can’t believe this is what you’re doing now.’”

While Faruqui did not set out to become an author, after losing her daughter to terminal illness, she aimed to honor her daughter’s legacy by helping other families experiencing the same thing. 

“If somebody were to ask me five years ago, do you see yourself writing a book? No, absolutely not,” she said. “That was not part of the plan and sometimes you can make plans, but life will present you with situations where you have to pivot. I think that is also a universal message in the book is be ready to pivot. Don’t be so hard fast on your plans because sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.”

Additionally, she found that through writing her memoir, a lot of processing and healing was happening that she had not anticipated. All book proceeds are going to non profit organizations.

“I thought getting the book published was the most interesting thing,” she said. “I went into medicine knowing exactly what steps to take – pre-med, MCAT, medical school, residency – but with writing a book, I had no idea of the steps. I thought having a complete manuscript meant the book was done.”
Faruqui said the biggest struggle – and the biggest relief – was finding an agent. Several people told her the book wouldn’t sell because the theme about a child in hospice was “too sad.”

“It took several rejections,” she said. “That made me question if I would ever get the book out. Signing my publishing contract was the biggest joy, just knowing that the book was going to happen. The biggest relief was knowing that this could actually come out in print and be published in a traditional way.”

Faruqui is proud of her Dowagiac upbringing and encourages students to embrace their hometown and pursue their dreams.

“My advice is that you absolutely can do big things even if you come from a small town or a rural high school, she said. “It’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out when you graduate. I think that there’s too much pressure on humans in general to know what path they’re going to take and that there’s ways to change your mind and to take detours. But if you truly find your passion, you will get there and you have the ability and the tools from the education in the community. The fact that I can come back and have this type of welcome you’re not gonna find that anywhere else. 

“I will also say there’s this idea of growing up in a small town that you’re ready to leave it behind and do something big and both can be true,” Faruqui continued. “I think it’s really important that as soon as I ventured out, I craved and found so many beautiful aspects of our town I appreciated more after exploring outside of Dowagiac. There’s just so much that this town has to offer. You don’t have to have it all figured out, you absolutely can do anything and everything.”