Comment

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

a Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collison of Two Cultures
Jun 07, 2018DBRL_IdaF rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book originally was written in the mid-1990s, about events from the 1980s, but the lessons are still instructive. This is not a happy book, I will warn you. Fadiman does an incredible job of presenting all sides of a situation without judgment of anyone involved. In the 1980s, Hmong in the U.S. were still relatively recent arrivals. The author supplies a lot of great background information about their cultural history and relationship to our country and our wars. At the heart of the book is the story of one little girl -- Lia Lee -- and her family. She has severe epilepsy, and the failures of understanding and communication between her parents and doctors are heartbreaking. Everyone involved cares deeply and wants to help, but the cultural barriers to understanding are nearly insurmountable. A fascinating, fascinating book.