The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
by Anne Fadiman
"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down explores the clash between a small county hospital in California and a refugee family from Laos over the care of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy. Lia’s parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. ... Anne Fadiman’s compassionate account of this cultural impasse is literary journalism at its finest." summary & image from goodreads.com
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This is a fantastic book! If you're interested in history, politics, medical issues, different cultures, unintended consequences, different world views, .... it's all here in a beautifully told story.
People my age remember much about the Vietnam War. At the same time that was going on, our government was supporting another war in Laos. We didn't read much about the war there nor the Hmong soldiers who helped us in the effort. Thousands of Hmong were brought to the United States after that war was "lost." It's fascinating to read about the Hmong people, their history, and their migration from one nation to another - and their migration to the United States. What happens when you bring people who view the world very, very differently into this country?
Western medicine tends to see the body as separate from the spirit. What happens when medical personnel deal with people who don't see any separation between the two? Differences in language, culture, religion, world view can create many challenges, especially when dealing with medical issues that involve a child.
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