Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis

During Lia's third month of life, her older sister slammed the door of the apartment in which the Lee's resided. Within moments following the door's closing, Lia's first seizure commenced. The Lee family was convinced that the door's slamming had been so frightening as to make Lia's soul fly away. Once gone, her soul was captured by a dab, or evil spirit. What had occurred was known as qaug dab peg in Hmong (translated as "the spirit catches you and you fall down"). Western medicine equates quag dab peg with epilepsy. In the Hmong tradition, epilepsy is an illness of honor. Because so few are afflicted, the Hmong reasoned that the soul in concern was special. In fact, most Hmong who have epilepsy are revered as txiv neebs (shaman). In light of this traditional belief, the Lees were only mildly concerned...