It will make you think

This book is remarkable in that it manages to tell a compelling story about one little girl's epilepsy while, at the same time, offering a broad and moving expose about the cultural clash between Eastern and Western medicine.

The author of this book doesn't try to remove herself from the story, which turns out to be a good thing. She moves throughout the narrative with an amazing sense of equanimity that is all the more remarkable, when you consider that at any given moment, the events that unfolded provoked sharp feelings of rage, sometimes just among the Western medical establishment, sometimes just among the Lee family, but more often among both parties.

Over the course of the book, Fadiman deftly interweaves the story of the Hmong people, covering their experiences in Laos and the US Armed Services, and then their later experiences in the United States. She doesn't belittle their beliefs in spirits, shamans, etc. which would have been an easy target.

We also learn about the Hmong culture, and I came away feeling warmth at the degree to which the Hmong hold in esteem their community and its importance.

Finally, we are exposed to the universal feelings of parents and familial relationships everywhere, which turn out to have many commonalities no matter what the culture/country/religion of origin. The book's most touching moments involve the grief and love that parents feel towards their children, as well as the empathy for the children of another.

In conclusion, "Spirit" manages to succeed on multiple levels, and I recommend it highly. It's an especially good choice for book clubs.