» advanced search
subscribe & win

Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win FREE books.

your e-mail address Send!

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

Cover may not depict edition offered for sale

available COPIES

 

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Anne Fadiman (Preface by)

About this title: The author tells the story of the Lees, a family of Hmong refugees in California whose epileptic baby daughter, Lia, is taken in hand by the Western medical establishment. The Lees believe that Lia's condition is caused by spirits called dabs, who had caught her and made her fall down. Her doctors want to treat her condition with sophisticated drugs, which her parents refuse to give her. In this sad tale of cultural misunderstanding, two incompatible worlds collide, with heart-wrenching consequences. Nominated for the 1998 PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction.

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.

Page 1 of 7   change currency
sort by
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne (Preface by)

price: £5.61

Ships from GA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Noonday Press Date Published: 1997 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 341 p. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: HippoBooks, GA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £5.61

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: PAPERBACK Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. 0374525641 Good solid overall condition, mild to moderate general wear, clean inside. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: FatCityBooks - Booksellers, CA, USA

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £6.20

Ships from NY, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Softcover ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. 1998-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Hall Street Books, NY, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne (Preface by)

price: £6.54

Ships from FL, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Noonday Press Date Published: 1997 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Clean inside out, tight binding, very good cover. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 341 p. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: DREAMBOOKS, FL, USA

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £6.70

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998-09-28 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. Cover shows some wear or creases. Pages yellowed/tanned. No highlighting or underlining. Unforgettable and true! read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Audrey's Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £6.70

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998-09-28 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. Cover shows some wear or creases. Pages yellowed/tanned. No highlighting or underlining. Unforgettable and true! read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Audrey's Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £6.77

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: PAPERBACK Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. 0374525641 26099 PB: spine smooth, pages clean, cover has slight shelf wear-allow up to 21 business days for standard USPS media m ai l. wt1lbpf. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Book-Zombies, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £6.86

Ships from PA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very Good. Publisher overstock. May have remainder mark. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: PlumCircle, PA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £6.86

Ships from AL, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. Cover shows moderate shelf wear. Strong binding. Notes on front leaf. Text is clean and unmarked. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Eric Wheeler, AL, USA

Reliability: Average

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £6.86

Ships from MA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Mass-market paperback Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Date Published: 1997 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very good. No dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 339 p. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Shelfenterprise, MA, USA

Reliability: Low

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down new book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £7.00

Ships from MERSEYSIDE, UNITED KINGDOM Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: BRAND NEW FROM THE SAINT BOOKSTORE. read more

condition:

Book: New

Available qty: >10

 

seller information:

Name: The Saint Bookstore, MERSEYSIDE, UNITED KINGDOM

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £7.17

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very Good. 0374525641. Markings in text; wear to edges; cover shows gentle rubbing. Still a solid reading copy, clean and tightly bound. Cultural Studies. Pasadena's finest independent new and used bookstore.; 1.2 x 8.2 x 5.5 Inches; 352 pages. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Book Alley, CA, USA

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £7.23

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998-09-28 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Like New. Excellent, unmarked condition. Looks new. read more

condition:

Book: Fine/Like New

 

seller information:

Name: Alegria Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £7.32

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998-09-28 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very Good. No highlighting or underlining! Gently read once! Unforgettable and true! read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Audrey's Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

price: £7.32

Ships from MI, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Softcover Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very good. 1998; Paperback; No notes/hiliting; Clean pages; Cover corner crease; No dog-ears; Strong binding. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Books by Chance LLC, MI, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £7.33

Ships from PA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Fine; Collectible. First paperback edition. No writings/underlines/highlights. Pages are very nice and clean. Free track. Fast! Satisfaction guaranteed! read more

condition:

Book: Fine/Like New

 

seller information:

Name: BookJoe, PA, USA

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Anne Fadiman

price: £7.41

Ships from OH, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998-09-28 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very good. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Paperback. Pages are clean and free from markings and/or highlighting, with tight binding. Light crease to bottom corner of front cover; crease to upper corner of front free end page. 1/8" tear to front cover at base of spine. 327. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Pamela's Timeless Treasures, OH, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne (Preface by)

price: £7.45

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Noonday Press Date Published: 1997 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 341 p. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Victoria's Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne (Preface by)

price: £7.45

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Noonday Press Date Published: 1997 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 341 p. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Victoria's Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne (Preface by)

price: £7.45

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Noonday Press Date Published: 1997 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 341 p. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Victoria's Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne (Preface by)

price: £7.45

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Noonday Press Date Published: 1997 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 341 p. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Victoria's Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £7.46

Ships from ID, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: PAPERBACK Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Fine. 0374525641 Not much wrong with this one. I say it is NEW, but I guess you could say that there is some slight shelf wear. read more

condition:

Book: Fine/Like New

 

seller information:

Name: windyacresfarm, ID, USA

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: a Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: a Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £7.48

Ships from TN, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: FS&G Date Published: 2000 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Very Good + Minor thumbing to edges, name to first page, minor stain to first page, else tight and clean. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Burke's Book Store, TN, USA

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £7.48

Ships from NJ, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: TPB Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date Published: 1998 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: G. G TRADE-PAPERBACK. VERY-GOOD EXCEPT SOME CAT BITE MARKS ON OUTER EDGE OF FRONT COVER (MOSTLY JUST INDENTATIONS; NO TEARING) read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Early Republic Books, NJ, USA

Reliability: High

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: a Hmong Child, Her American Doctors and the Collision of Two Cultures used book

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: a Hmong Child, Her American Doctors and the Collision of Two Cultures

by Fadiman, Anne

price: £7.48

Ships from IA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Softcover Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, New York, U.S.A. Date Published: 1998 ISBN-13: 9780374525644 ISBN: 0374525641

Description: Good. Cover has edge wear, creases, minor scratches, small bent/rubbed cover/page corners, rubbed spine. Highlighting in text. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Defunct Books, IA, USA

Reliability: High


Page 1 of 7: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next>

*What is a Wishlist?

Reviews of {0} by {1}
Customer rating: 5 out of 5 5 out of 5
Engaging!, Mar 28, 2009
By Winkadink, Reading, PA

"This book was required reading for a linguistic anthropology course, but I wound up thoroughly enjoying it. The book draws you in without you realizing it."

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
goodreads rating 4 out of 5 4 out of 5
Jan 31, 2009
By Heather, Latham, NY

"Anne Fadiman addresses a number of difficult topics in her depiction of a Hmong couple's quest to restore the soul to their child. While I consider myself a culturally sensitive individual, having been raised in a family of doctors and nurses, I have long held the conviction that the world's best doctors (whether imported or native) tread on American soil. Reading Fadiman's account (which sometimes includes actual excerpts from the patient's charts), I was forced to take a hard look at my assumptions. In the course of reading this book, I have redefined my idea of what constitutes a good doctor.

Fadiman spent hundreds of hours interviewing doctors, social workers, members of the Hmong community--anyone who was somehow involved in Lia Lee's medical nightmare. She pored over years of medical records, trying to make sense of the events that caused a spirited, loving toddler to slowly devolve into a vegetative state. What she found was that the doctors' orders, prescribed medications, hospital care, etc., were all based on a number of Western assumptions that did not take the family's (and child's) best interests into consideration. No attempt was made to understand how the family saw the disease or what efforts they were making on their own to address the situation. More than a translator, what doctors and other professionals involved in Lia's case needed was a "cultural broker" who could have stepped in and possibly saved Lia's brain from further deterioration.

Fadiman's book is a difficult read, not because of specialized vocabulary or lofty philosophical concepts, but because there comes a point when the reader realizes that the barriers faced by those involved were much more cultural than they were linguistic. In a very real way, the Lees inhabited a different world than the doctors, and vice-versa. Each assumed that their way was best, and neither made a genuine effort to understand the other's motivations, much less their logic. In the end, there was no simple solution to their plight, but more mutual respect and understanding of the differences between the cultures would have benefitted everyone involved.

If there is a moral to Fadiman's work, it may be this: The best doctors are not those who know the most, but rather those who admit what they do not know, and try to understand the full picture. Good doctors may treat the disease, but the best doctors treat the individual."

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
goodreads rating 5 out of 5 5 out of 5
Jan 21, 2009
By Sarah Pi, Baltimore, MD

"Amazing book. In my work with people with developmental disabilities and epilepsy, I've seen a lot of examples of the disconnect between doctor and patient -- and that's even when both speak a common language and have a common cultural understanding of their roles. This book tells the story of an extreme example, in which the patient's parents neither understood the doctors nor trusted them, and the medical system held a reciprocal inability to understand where the family was coming from. In telling this one story, the author also goes into the history and culture of the Hmong people both in Laos and the US. It is both riveting and devastating.

My one initial irritation was with the author's continual use of the term "epileptic", which is very much out of favor right now, but wasn't at the time that she wrote the book. The preferred term is "people with epilepsy", in order to stress that individuals with the disorder are not identified solely by their symptoms. I got used to her archaic terminology over the course of the book, and I'm sure the author would be the first to agree with the spirit behind the change."

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
goodreads rating 5 out of 5 5 out of 5
Dec 29, 2008
By Liz, Palo Alto, CA

"This is a fabulous book. I read it several years ago when we were beginning to learn about the Hmong people coming to California and to our schools. I reread it last week after reading Fieldwork (and finding out the the tribe of people he writes about is made up) in order to get a better sense of what people from the hill tribes in Southeast Asia believe, think, and experience. In the case of this book, those thoughts and experiences are in direct conflict with the new country of residence for the Hmong. This is a true story about a young Hmong girl, living in Fresno, who has epilepsy (as diagnosed by western doctors) and something very spiritual (as believed by her parents). The book describes the frustrations on the parts of both the American doctors and the Hmong family and community in dealing with western medicine + gives some important information about the history of the Hmong and why they have moved to the U.S. This book is a MUST for anyone working with Hmong children, and I also think would be fascinating to anyone interested in learning more about people who are different than they are in beliefs and attitudes."

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
  1-4 of 19    Next page  

 

 
Overall customer rating:
4.6 out of 5 4.6 out of 5
22 of 22 (100%) customers said they would recommend this book to a friend.

Our Money-Back Guarantee

We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.