The Spirit Catches You And you Fall Down

The Spirit catches You And You Fall Down - Anne Fadiman

5/5 stars.

I haven't read a work of fiction in a looong time mainly due to the fact that I have been reading books about pregnancy and babies to get ready for my son coming in April. Finally I decided to get back to reading something non-baby related. I first saw this book on the shelves of the university bookstore's social work shelves. Since I am interested in social work and multiculturalism, I borrow the book from the library. I was not disappointed! The book relates the true story of a Hmong family caught between their beliefs and the expectations of the Western medical world. Lia Lee is a little girl who suffers from epilepsy. Her parents believe that these episods are caused by a spirit, which, as the title indicates, catches you and makes you fall down. For the American doctors, epilepsy is epilepsy, period, and it should be treated with medicine. Lia's family would rather use a shaman, doesn't understand English, cannot read, and therefore cannot give their daughter her proper medication. What ensues is a sort of battle between Lia's family, part of a very private, insular, and proud immigrant community, and Lia's doctors.

What I found fascinating was the misunderstandings between the parents and the doctors. Both have strong opinions about the cause and cure of the illness. Neither can convince the other one. It happens everyday between American families and their American doctors, right? Families do not want vaccines, do not think their children should be under medication, etc while the doctors are adamant that there's only one way to see a certain ailment. Imagine this struggle with people who don't understand each other's language and culture. The author, who is a journalist, does a remarkable job of interviewing all parties to the story. The book tries not to take sides. It is as neutral an account as possible, and it gives the book depth and meaning. I loved reading about the Hmong history and culture and I also loved reading about the way the doctors and social workers understood Lia's case.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in medical anthropology, social work, or immigration.

And for those who might think I only give great reviews, I just read Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and, though I won't write a review, only give it 2.5 to 3 stars.

In the Neighborhood - Peter Lovenheim

Full title: In the Neighborhood, The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time.

3.5/5 stars.

After a murder-suicide happened in his street, the author, Peter Lovenheim, realizes that the tragedy might have been avoided had the wife been able to reach out to her neighbors. Unfortunately, people on his street do not know each other. To remedy this, Peter proposes to sleep over at some neighbors' and spend the day with them, to create a sense of community, and to be sure that his neighbors know they can reach out to him, and he to them, if they are in need.

The book itself was not that interesting, since it mainly related the author's sleepovers and his neighbors' life. From a narrative perspective, the content was a bit disappointing -it's fortunately a quick read. However, from a conceptual point of view, it was fascinating. Now, I am admitedly biased, as I am struggling to feel that I belong in Seattle and in my new neighborhood. So the effort of one person to make his neighborhood a community of people who know each other really drew me to the book. While reading it, I asked myself what kind of community I would want to live in, what kind of neighborhood I'd like to move to next. My downstairs neighbors have a great community back in Texas. I wish I had that here.

So the book doesn't offer solutions -well, unless I want to go ahead and spend the night at my neighbord (no, thanks!)- but it's a ncie snapshot of what our lives have become when we barricad ourselves behind walls. It's also a call to be more mindful of what our neighbors might be going though in their lives and to offer support if the opportunity arises. Interesting. Not earth shattering, but definitely mind opening.

Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert

4/5 stars.

Everybody has heard about Eat, Pray, Love. You may have avoided reading the book and you may avoid watching the movie when it comes out later this month, but you have certainly heard of the book. Who hasn't? The book was reviewed and its author interviewed in every major publication, from the NYT to Oprah. It was a very good book (I enjoyed it immensely). When my friend lent me this book, I thought "okay, do not be disappointed if it's not as good as EPL." Turns out, this book is also very good, in a different way. It focuses on one topic -marriage- and is more serious than the first one, as it provides information about the history and sociology of marriage and married people.

The man Gilbert loves, Felipe, is from Brazil and is an Australian citizen. One day, coming back from a trip abroad, the US customs detained Felipe and told him he could never go back to the US unless he and Gilbert married. That was a problem, since both of them decided that they were fine living together without being married, thank you very much (both went through painful divorces). I find the title particularly good, since Gilbert end up committed to marriage, but fears that the institution might trap her (as in "committed" in a real hospital/institution). Elizabeth Gilbert takes us on her very personal journey of coming to terms with being married, since it is the only way she and Felipe can live together in the US.

Her insights into marriage are fascinating. I learnt that the early church didn't want people to get married in order to stay pure (this still applies to priests and nuns and monks). I loved reading about the fact that though governments tried to control marriage (who can get married to whom is just one example), ultimately the intimacy that happens behind closed doors only belongs to two people. I enjoyed discovering other cultures' idea of marriage: the Hmongs, for instance, live in community and get much of their happiness from this sense of belonging, so they don't expect their spouse to fulfill their every need.

The book is easy to read, definitely interesting, and, as in EPL, Gilbert's tone is personal, funny, and touching. I highly recommend Committed. I give it only 4 stars because I feel that to deserve 5 a book has to inspire me and has to leave an indelible mark. This book is really enjoyable, but might not make it on my all time favorites list.