Stranger in the Village of the Sick: A Memoir of Cancer, Sorcery, and Healing

(Paperback)

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Description

After more than fifty years as the model of perfect health, anthropologist Paul Stoller suddenly finds himself diagnosed with lymphoma. The only thing more transformative than his fear of cancer is the place it ultimately takes him - twenty-five years back in time to his days as an apprentice to a West African sorcerer. This book follows Stoller down this unexpected path toward personal growth, and healing. Drawing upon an ancient tradition, he explores the symbiotic relationship between illness and health and the differences in how disease is culturally perceived.

Reviews

Readers will find Stoller's account valuable and his perspective on sorcery surprisingly moving.--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[A] fascinating blend of personal and cultural commentary, of provocative insights, and encouraging advice for anyone affected by cancer . . ."--Frances Lefkowitz, Body and Soul

"Today one finds a variety of cancer drugs under trial or approved for use . . . But there is still a gap between what medicine can do now and what it will do in the future. And Stoller's book is a bridge over that gap because it reminds all patients that, in the face of illness, their lives are rich in meaning and still worth living."--Nick Owcher, Los Angeles Times

Author Bio

Paul Stoller is professor of anthropology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and the author of eight books, including the award-winning Money Has No Smell- The Africanization of New York City. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware.