H Is for Hanoi

When the crickets call and the wind is still and the water buffalo all are sleeping,” take a night journey through the streets of Hanoi with an artist who is searching for the city's Red River. Wafted by dreams that soar like a hundred white birds,” wander through a city that is stilled and softened by darkness; savor the syrupy fragrance of blossom-filled trees and the music of a cake seller's song. Meet ancient men, old as a pagoda,” who eat porridge and chicken feet; listen as the sounds of a school of motorcycles swim past.” Jump aboard one of them and whiz off into the night. Listen to the wisdom of a magic turtle and a river spirit. Learn that everything we love we carry within,” and hold that thought close while falling asleep. What will you dream of? The luminous vision of Nguyen NghiaCuong's surreal and playful paintings combines magically with Elizabeth Rush's story of an artist's quest to reclaim forgotten memories in a place that has become unfamiliar after a long time of being away from home. H is for Hanoi evokes fairytales and bedtime stories that have lulled children to sleep for centuries, while taking all who turn its pages into a special dream in a very special city, a place that most of us have never seen.