This book is a great choice for historical fiction fans who want to delve into the complexities of class and gender dynamics in seventeenth-century Netherlands. Tracy Chevalier's writing style vividly portrays the setting and characters, and the central relationship between Griet and Vermeer is beautifully explored. The scandalous nature of their intimacy adds an element of intrigue and suspense that keeps the reader engaged throughout the story.

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• Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Longlist (2000)
• ALA Alex Award (2001)
• Lincoln Award Nominee (2006)
• Premi Llibreter de narrativa Nominee (2001)

In seventeenth-century Delft, there's a strict social order—rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant, master and servant—and all know their place. When Griet becomes a maid in the household of the painter Johannes Vermeer, she thinks she knows her role: housework, laundry, and the care of his six children. She even feels able to handle his shrewd mother-in-law; his restless, sensual wife; and their jealous servant. What no one expects is that Griet's quiet manner, quick perceptions, and fascination with her master's paintings will draw her inexorably into his world. Their growing intimacy sparks whispers; and when Vermeer paints her wearing his wife's pearl earrings, the gossip escalates into a full-blown scandal that irrevocably changes Griet's life.Written with the precision and focus of an Old Master painting, Girl With a Pearl Earring is a vivid portrait of colorful seventeenth-century Delft, as well as the hauntingly poignant story of one young girl's rite of passage.

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