This volume is the result of an unusual collaboration between noted author Frances Fitzgerald and photojournalist Mary Cross. Both have travelled repeatedly to Vietnam and revisited the country together in 1999. From their extensive experience they have created a vivid look at Vietnam as it is today. This lush picture book of images of life in contemporary Vietnam is divided into three parts to reflect the country"s three regions - North, Central and South Vietnam. Among the areas covered are rice culture, Confucianism vs. local tradition, the cult of ancestors, the role of Buddhism, ethnic minorities, handicrafts, the impact and the legacy of French colonialism and the American presence and war, and the tensions within Vietnam society today.