Ismée Williams, a pediatric cardiologist by day, is an accomplished author by night. Her first book Water in May, was published in 2017.Williams’ This Train Is Being Held (Harry N. Abrams) tells the story of the slow-burn romance between Isabelle Warren, a half-Cuban private school girl, and Alex Rosario, Dominican-American and forced-baseball player. After an unexpected subway encounter in the downtown 1 train and over the course of the next three years, Isabelle learns of Alex’s struggle with his father, who is hell-bent on Alex being a major leaguer, despite Alex’s desire to go to college and become a poet. Meanwhile, Alex learns how Isabelle has to do her dance routines in secret due to a strict, unstable mother, a woman who also has a prejudice against Latino men. But fate—and the 1 train— has brought them together. The New York Times celebrated This Train Is Being Held. “We root for these young lovers — the self-conscious poet with the killer fastball and the shy ballerina who would take a bullet for those she loves — as they learn to let their guards down and be more honest with each other, and with themselves. When their story rolls into its final stop we’re sad the ride is over but delighted we caught this train.”