The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
by Anne Fadiman
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman holds a highly rated rating of 4.14 out of 5, based on 47.8K reader ratings. First published in 1997. The book spans 341 pages.
About The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
Lia Lee was born in 1982 to a family of recent Hmong immigrants, and soon developed symptoms of epilepsy. By 1988 she was living at home but was brain dead after a tragic cycle of misunderstanding, over-medication, and culture clash: "What the doctors viewed as clinical efficiency the Hmong viewed as frosty arrogance." The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions, written with the deepest of human feeling. Sherwin Nuland said of the account, "There are no villains in Fadiman's tale, just as there are no heroes. People are presented as she saw them, in their humility and their frailty—and their nobility.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Fadiman |
| Published | 1997 |
| Pages | 341 |
| Genres | Non-Fiction, Science, Biography & Memoir, History, Biography & Memoir |
| Average Rating | 4.14 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 47,785 |
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What genre is The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures?
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures is categorized as Non-Fiction, Science, Biography & Memoir, History. Its primary genre classification is Biography & Memoir.
Is The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures worth reading?
Based on 47.8K reader ratings, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures has an average score of 4.14 out of 5.00, which is considered "Highly Rated."
How many pages is The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures?
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures has 341 pages.
Who wrote The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures?
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures was written by Anne Fadiman. It was first published in 1997.
What is the ISBN for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures?
The ISBN-13 for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures is 9780374525640.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
