Book Review:The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Last fall, Anne Fadiman came to my school to gave a terrific talk about her book- The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which prompted me to go out and read this book. I was not disappointed. It is the story of a young
girl, Lia Lee, with a severe form of epilepsy.
She is the daughter of Hmong refugees, who have settled in Merced, California. Her parents, speak no English and are illiterate, but have held tightly to the culture and traditions of their homeland, Laos. Both Lia’s parents and her doctors have fundamentally different ideas about her illness and how it can best be treated, which eventually precludes Lia from getting the proper treatment she needs. Fadiman does an excellent job at looking at the situation from both the sides of Lia’s parents and her doctors. Lia’s doctors, who try to offer her the benefit of Western medicine, fail to take her cultural background into account. While they blame the parents for failing to properly administer the medications they prescribe, they stubbornly refuse to look at the Lee’s cultural perspectives. Meanwhile, the Lees believe Lia’s epilepsy is caused by her soul fleeing her body, so they do not follow through with the medications, which come with significant side-effects. They believe the medications do not treat the main problem and are making Lia’s condition worse. Both groups stand unable to see the situation from the others
perspective and are unwilling to bend, which tragically compromises Lia’s ability to get the necessary treatment. I found this book particularly interesting, because it tells the story so well from both the perspective of
the patient (which I am all too familiar with) and from the doctors (one of whom I aspire to be.) What makes this book so poignant is that it is clear that both groups want the best for Lia, yet their cultural differences prove
to be an impossible hurdle to overcome. One emerges from reading this book with a new found appreciation for the challenges doctors face in dealing with difficult patients and with a broader cultural understanding about the
nature of illness. This is a great read for anyone interested in medicine, anthropology, immigration studies, or anyone who spends more time than they would like to, in a doctor’s office.
Book Author: Anne Fadiman
Review written by Lisa Friedman, Butyoudontlooksick.com, © 2007
