(no subject)
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fascinating exploration of American culture & medicine & how it clashes with the Hmong immigrants, a close-knit ethnic group from Laos that the CIA enlisted to fight in the early, hush-hush years of the Vietnam War. In the late '70s, the Hmong became displaced in Asia & they immigrated to the US, expecting to be regarded as military heroes. Instead, adherence to their own customs & refusal to take part in "the melting pot" as well as a dependence on welfare (which they regarded as their due as war heroes) caused them to remain ostracized from society. Within this large-scale drama, is the heart-breaking saga of little Lia, 9th (?) child of the Lee clan & an epileptic.
The author presents a very balanced analysis of the costs & benefits of both Western medicine & Hmong shamanism, finding no easy answers when tragedy befalls a child.
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