It wasn't until the early '90s that the war-torn country etched into the historical memory of every American finally opened its doors to the world. Journalist Dana Sachs had been haunted by her limited understanding of Vietnam culled from bits and pieces of the evening news and quick summaries in high school history. She decided she had to get to know Vietnam and its people from the inside out.

She'd anticipated being met with stares and hostility as an American in Vietnam She hadn't anticipated becoming entranced, so entranced that she moved to Hanoi.

The House on Dream Street is Sachs' heartfelt account of how she settled in with a Vietnamese family, learned the language, and made a place for herself in "enemy" territory. And then, when she least expected it, she fell in love.

With vivid descriptions of the tastes, sounds, smells, and images of Vietnam, Sachs reveals the beauty of a country long off-limits to Americans. Part love story, part social commentary, Sachs' memoir explores the tenuous balance between the old and new Vietnam. But above all, The House on Dream Street tells the story of a woman learning to know her own heart.

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