The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

De: Anne Fadiman

Narrado por: Pamela Xiong

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction

When 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 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 and 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.

©1997 Anne Fadiman, Afterword copyright 2012 by Anne Fadiman (P)2015 Audible Inc.

So interesting

This book was assigned to me for a class so I did not expect much from it. I was wrong. I was captivated by the story, how it was told, the history and cultural sessions, and all the people in the book. It was fascinating and so education but in an engaging and interesting way. I strongly suggest people - especially those in the medical profession - read this book. #medical #culturaldifferences #Mong #epilepsy #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

great resource for cultural understanding

this is a great study on medical anthropology. I also plan to use this book for anthropology of religion course. it is a good example of how the sacred and the mundane are not separate In some cultures, and how treating the spirit as well as the physical is often necessary.

what a great book to learn about your own biases

to my friend Sandy do you want I was told this was a book social workers read in school. I was not recommended the book so I picked it up and at first thought it was slow. Then when I found myself doing trainings in the same city where this book takes place, I really took in the environment and culture in the location where I was staying. It is true. We all congregate to each other like our own. There are many things about other cultures and biases that we don't understand and dismiss because we are afraid or simply think it's wrong. But who are we to judge? This book will open your mind and your heart and your eyes to all of that. Highly recommend for people curious about biases and how we should treat each other as human beings not the color of our skin.

Riveting Story, Great Performance

What did you like best about this story?

Fadiman is a compassionate storyteller- she looks for truth in every conversation and sees the honesty in everyone who gives it. She understands the reader, and she understands how western readers will want to understand the story and refuses to let them leave with their views of medicine unshaken.

What does Pamela Xiong bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ms. Xiong seems to be able to pronounce all the Hmong words phenomenally (I can't speak, and have never heard Hmong outside this book) and despite some errors on some English words (e.g., "indignant" instead of "indigent"), I can't imagine the amount of Hmong that would have been butchered by an English-Only voice actor.

Thank you!

The narrator was Wonderful!! Thank you... Thank you... Thank you again!!! Enjoyed it! Will purchase another book soon.

Loved It!

I found this book to be very interesting and thought provoking. I wondered what we could have done to make things easier for these people?

Great

Great story. I know there are a lot of complaints about the narrator but I appreciate what she lends to the narrative with her correct pronunciation of French and mung. I don't believe English is her first language but that didn't bother me. I thought it was a great book and very nearly an ethnographic piece.

Culture Rich

Anyone who wants to work in a caring profession should listen to this book. It shows a great example of how cultural barriers can influence what the best approach is for a client or patient.

Fantastic in every level

My son was assigned this book by his college professor. When he was about 1/3 through it he suggested I also read it. I read the first few chapters and then listened to the rest as an audible book. I am so glad to have read this book. It gave insights into a culture that I didn’t even know existed and was written in such a way that explained Hmong nuance, dignity and love of family in a beautiful way. I am better for having read this book and am grateful to my so.man for suggesting I do.

excellent read

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is really good to read something that transports you from your everyday box and helps you think differently.