Anne Fadiman

this is such an excellent example of journalism and of (what certainly seems to be) the full telling of "both sides" of this story and issue. to see such compassion for everyone involved in this tragic story, such understanding about something that was so misunderstood in the moment, is truly beautiful. the lack of cultural understanding, or even curiosity, was awful to read about. but both sides had those misunderstandings and misconceptions, and made decisions that, while understandable, show more made this more of a tragedy.

in the end, while this is about a specific story and family and the medical system they encountered at the time, and how things have since changed to better accommodate and understand other cultures and belief systems, this really is about how we can do better to bridge the gap of understanding that comes up all the time, in various situations. how we can strive to understand the foundation of where someone is coming from, and how that is being expressed. i'm grateful for this desire that fadiman had to understand what both the family and the medical establishment were thinking because this book is an incredible testament to how we can learn from each other and treat each other's beliefs - even as they contradict with what we know/believe - with a respect that opens communication and community, rather than cutting it off, as happened in this case (and as happens in most cases).

this is about so much more than this case she details, but this case is such an incredible story and metaphor that i'd imagine reading it over and over again it'll always feel fresh and relevant, in spite of the changes in medicine since this happened. an extraordinary book. show less

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is perhaps a perfect work of narrative journalism, a non-fiction book which is both compellingly told, meticulously researched, and deeply thought-provoking. Not a word feels wasted in any of its dense three-hundred pages, and by the time you reach the end, you'll close the book feeling newly educated in Hmong culture, the American health care system, refugee politics, and everything in between. More than that, though, The Spirit Catches You is just a show more damn good read. You don't need to think you'd be interested in any of the issues it touches on; it will make you interested. The driving narrative, the heartbreaking story of the life of one epileptic Hmong child, is (much like life itself) brimming with both pathos and joy. And Anne Fadiman is the ideal reporter of it all: erudite, impartial, receptive, and exceedingly gifted as a prose stylist. I can't say I've ever read a better non-fiction work, and I doubt that I ever will (though I hope to read others just as good). The Spirit Catches You is simply a must-read, and there's not much more to say about it than that. show less

This book has been recommended by so many here on LT I don't know why it took me so long to get to it. Simply a delightful book of essays about Fadiman's love of books and the role they've played in her life. And, surprise, it resonated with me just as much as any of the other wonderful books about books that I've read. Funny? Oh my yes.

Fadiman, who is hooked on books about polar explorations, on John Franklin's expedition:

"Who but an Englishman,Sir John Franklin, could have managed to die show more of starvation and scurvy along with all 129 of his men in a region of the Canadian Arctic whose game had supported an Eskimo colony for centuries? When the corpses of some of Franklin's officers and crew were later discovered, miles from their ships, the men were found to have left behind their guns but to have lugged such essentials as monogrammed silver cutlery, a backgammon board, a cigar case, a clothes brush, a tin of button polish, and a copy of The Vicar of Wakefield. These men may have been incompetent bunglers, but, by God, they were gentleman." (Page 25)

Oh my, she really knows how to turn a phrase. And who of us, has not found themselves in a similar situation and reacted exactly as she did here:

"I have spent many a lonely night in small town hotel rooms consoled by the Yellow Pages. Once, long ago, I bested a desperate bout of insomnia by studying the only piece of written material in my apartment that I had not already read twice: my roommate's 1974 Toyota Corolla manual. Under the circumstances (addiction, withdrawal, craving, panic), the section on the manual gearshift was as beautiful to me as Dante's vision of the Sempiternal in canto XXXI of Paradiso.(Page 113)

My husband has accused me of studying the phone book on more than one occasion. But my absolute favorite has got to be the essay about proofreading. My hubby has walked away from me in embarrassment as I pulled out a black marker and corrected a sign or three in the produce department at the local grocery store so I laughed out loud at this, as a pedant could only be expected to do, because it hit so close to home. Fadiman is lucky to be joined by her immediate family in the proofreading business:

"Of course, if you are a compulsive proofreader yourself---and if you are, you know it, since for the afflicted it is a reflex no more avoidable than a sneeze---you are thinking something quite different: What a fine, public-spirited family are the Fadimans! How generous, in these slipshod times, to share their perspicacity with the unenlightened!"

Why can't my hubby be more understanding? Anyway, if you want to laugh and pass a couple of hours in sheer delight, do pick up this little gem. Highly recommended. show less

In the 1980s, a young Hmong child – whose people fought for the Americans during the Vietnam War – had epilepsy after her parents were relocated to California as refugees. Tragically, her parents never adapted to the American medical system, and equally tragically, the American medical system never adapted to them either. The child Lia Lee’s case resulted in a negative outcome, and the Lee family’s difficulty appears utterly humane upon further investigation. In this classic book, show more Anne Fadiman tries to learn lessons to instruct us all how to avoid such outcomes in the future.

This book fortunately received many accolades when first published in the late 1990s and has brought about significant change across the American medical system. It taught us – and continues to teach us – to be mindful of culture’s role in medical encounters. Medicine itself is a culture, and those new to Western medicine have their own culture with their own integrity. Learning to effectively mediate between cultures, for some patients, is at least as vital as the right diagnosis and treatment.

In a less heralded contribution, this book highlights the need for cultural brokers, especially among refugees. Refugees are people without a home. Unlike most immigrants, they come to America not as a goal but merely as an act of survival. They seek to leave a substandard refugee camp to anyplace else because they no longer have a home. Unlike other immigrants, they do not run to American culture and its Western medicine; indeed, they may harbor some suspicions of it. Refugee and other social organizations need to be mindful of this dynamic when refugees encounter foreign medical systems. Education and support are certainly required for those new to any land.

With the rising challenge of climate change and continuing wars around the globe, the problem of refugees will likely rise throughout this century. Cultural attitudes towards medicine is but a part of this complex problem, along with aspects like nativism, racism, international law, and homophobia. This book eloquently depicts what this looks like. It does not take sides but rather extrapolates both sides’ full practical and ethical ramifications. It concludes that this is an utter tragedy, one that must be learned from.

My wife has dedicated her career to educating refugee children, and having spent time on medical wards, I work in the healthcare arena. Thus, my family is familiar with both sides that this saga addresses. Let’s all hope this story is a “worst case scenario.” It seems that American healthcare has grown as has the communities supporting refugees. Reading this book can remind us of why we cannot go back but must push forward. show less