Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for NonfictionWhen three-month-old Lia Lee Arrived at the county hospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. Lia's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos. The Hmong, traditionally a close-knit and fiercely people, have been less amenable to assimilation than most immigrants, adhering steadfastly to the rituals and beliefs of their ancestors. Lia's pediatricians, Neil Ernst and his wife, Peggy Philip, cleaved just as strongly to another tradition: that of Western medicine. When Lia Lee Entered the American medical system, diagnosed as an epileptic, her story became a tragic case history of cultural miscommunication.Parents and doctors both wanted the best for Lia, but their ideas about the causes of her illness and its treatment could hardly have been more different. The Hmong see illness aand healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe, while medical community marks a division between body and soul, and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg--the spirit catches you and you fall down--and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices.
Lia Lee was born in 1981 to a family of recent Hmong immigrants, and soon developed symptoms of epilepsy. By 1988 she was living at home but was brain dead after a tragic cycle of misunderstanding, overmedication, and culture clash: "What the doctors viewed as clinical efficiency the Hmong viewed as frosty arrogance." The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions, written with the deepest of human feeling. Sherwin Nuland said of the account, "There are no villains in Fadiman's tale, just as there are no heroes. People are presented as she saw them, in their humility and their frailty--and their nobility."
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Fascinating study of the important role cultural competency plays in Western medicine:
A very interesting and detailed look into the life of this young Hmong child and the important role that cultural barriers played in her medical care. A wonderful account from both points of views. I would say this is a must read for any doctor.
thought provoking:
marvelous book, well worth a thoughtful read; a little Hmong girl caught between well-meaning medical establishment and traditional culture. In microscopic detail shows how caring is not enough--cultural knowledge and understanding is needed as well. The author did a remarkable job, not only is the research impressive but the book is a great read. One of the best books I've read this year.
Came damaged:
Because this book came along with two others, one which was quite huge and heavy, the book cover was damaged when it arrived. Other than that it arrived within estimated arrival time.
Eye Opening:
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down chronicles the story of a little epileptic Hmong girl whose family does not accept the ways of the Western world and Western medicine. After reading this book, I find that I am more understanding to other cultures and ways of life. I too held almost an elitist opinion of the "American Way". This book gives a glimpse into the other side of the story. Good parenting is subjective and cultural. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like to become more... more info
