Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Even-Sided; Empathetic
Anne Fadiman is the consummate journalist, presenting the facts without muddying the waters with her own opinions. Don't get it twisted, though—despite her relative objectivity, Fadiman gets very emotionally involved in the proceedings.
But that's not going to deter this journalism superstah from her number one goal of presenting the facts. She doesn't sugarcoat her stuff, whether it's about the Hmong, their doctors, or the residents of Merced. More impressively, Fadiman is willing to own up to her own biases, even admitting that she "romanticized the Hmong" at times (18.48). By looking at the situation from all of these different perspectives, Fadiman creates a nice and nuanced view of this lil' corner of the world.
But still. We'd be lying if we said that Fadiman didn't love the Lee family. She practically becomes one of the gang: Foua often refers to her as "mi Anne," which can be translated as "dear little Anne" (8.12). That's love, baby.
For her part, Fadiman shares the love right back; her descriptions of the family are clearly filled with compassion. By allowing herself to be empathetic—but without losing sight of the facts—Fadiman has created a book that's both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.