• The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

• Author: Anne Fadiman
• ISBN: 9780374533403
• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1998
• Number of Pages: 368

Anne Fadiman's "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" explores the tragic cultural misunderstandings between a Hmong refugee family and the American medical community in Merced, California. The story centers on Lia Lee, a young Hmong girl with epilepsy, and the conflicting perspectives on her illness. Fadiman contrasts the Lee family's traditional beliefs with Western medicine, highlighting the devastating consequences of miscommunication and mistrust. This moving account raises profound questions about cultural competence, the limitations of modern medicine, and the importance of understanding diverse worldviews, revealing the human cost of cultural barriers.