Critique du Library Journal

From the heat and crowds to the exotic foods to the kindness of residents, Australian writer Mason gives readers an engrossing glimpse of a modern, poverty-stricken, mysterious Vietnam. He weaves his tales of traveling around the country and meeting eccentric individuals, including Buddhist monks, nuns, hairdressers, cafe dwellers, boat/taxi drivers, and their relatives with humor, dignity, and a great deal of love for the places and people he has come to know. Although this book is based on a three-month trip, Mason gives his adventures in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Hanoi, and beyond (and the people that he shared them with) a history based on his previous visits, which allows him to portray a Vietnam that few Westerners will ever experience. VERDICT Armchair travelers as well as all readers interested in Vietnam or Buddhism will love this delightful book. Highly recommended.-Melissa Aho, Univ. of Minnesota Lib., Minneapolis (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.