I recently read a really good book called The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fa
diman. The book contains a variety of themes, but the most interesting one is the contrast between traditional, Eastern culture and modern, Western medicine. The author tells an interesting story of a Hmong woman by juxtaposing Hmong, spiritual beliefs against a sterile, modern hospital setting in the U.S. In the story, the American doctors are often puzzled by the unconventional and “strange” spiritual beliefs of the Hmong woman as she is giving birth. The doctors are challenged as they try to provide proper healthcare while still allowing the woman to hold on to her spiritual beliefs. An interesting commentary on the American healthcare system and the experience of a refugee as she navigates her way through it, this book tells, quite eloquently, the story of a strong woman and the lengths that she will go for her family.