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by Ann Fadiman, 341 pp, $14 (paperback), ISBN 0-37452-564-1, New York, NY, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1998.

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000;154:1277-1278.

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In her meticulously researched, carefully crafted, and beautifully written book, Ann Fadiman tells the story of Lia Lee, a young Hmong child in Merced, Calif, whose severe epilepsy leads to a collision between the very different cultures of the Hmong and Lia's Western physicians. Having heard about Lia's story through friends, Ms Fadiman traveled west to Merced to investigate. It is clear from the outset of the book that the real story was far more complex, the cultural gulf far wider, and the effects on her own life were far more profound than she ever could have envisioned. For any reader, with or without a medical background, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is sure to captivate, charm, and educate.

The Hmong (pronounced Mung) began arriving in large numbers in the United States in the mid 1970s after Laos fell to Communist forces. Many who arrived had worked . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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