Girl with a Pearl Earring tells the story of Griet, a 16-year-old Dutch girl, who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer. Her calm and perceptive manner not only helps her in her household duties, but also attracts Vermeer's attention. He slowly draws her into the world of his paintings and ultimately has her sit for him as a model.
In this richly imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired on of Vermeer's most celebrated paintings, Tracy Chevalier transports readers to a bygone time and place. History and fiction merge seamlessly in a luminous tale of artistic vision, sensual awakening, and daily life in the Netherlands of the 17th-century.
Vermeer's evocative painting is the inspiration for this novel of sixteenth-century Delft about a young girl who goes to work as a servant in the home of the painter and becomes his subject. Tracy Chevalier tells the story from the perspective of the girl, Griet, who is intrigued by the painter as she cleans his studio, studies his paintings, and comes to know something of the interrelationships among the painter's wife, his many children, and his mother-in-law. Jenna Lamia infuses this glimpse into Vermeer's world with a girlish curiosity and innocence, capturing both the freshness of youth and the stirrings of womanhood. Other characters are also well presented; the jealousy of Vermeer's oldest daughter, the wisdom of his mother-in-law, and the painter's own quiet desperation are all expressed fully. Through the marriage of insightful prose and expressive narration, the listener feels a part of this world. It is a glimpse as intimate as one of Vermeer's own paintings. M.A.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
About the Author
Tracy Chevalier holds a graduate degree in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. An American originally from Washington, D.C., she currently lives in London with her husband and son.
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