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The spirit catches you and you fall down (1998) 3 stars

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and …

Review of 'The spirit catches you and you fall down' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Documents the tragic case of a Hmong girl with severe epilepsy and the numerous communication failures caused by the cultural disconnect between the girl's parents and her doctors. Pretty painful to even read about, especially because of my phobias about brain damage. Lots of that "oh, this can't possibly end well" feeling.

The book did a good job of presenting both sides. It's clear that both the doctors and the parents mean well, and the decisions that each side makes are understandable. But both sides have complex sets of assumptions that don't mesh at all. The language barrier is formidable, but it's a small part of the disconnect.