#155
Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Genre: Historical Fiction
Challenges: Read and Review, The 2nd, 52 Books in 52 Weeks, London Olympics, Around the World in 80 Books, To Be Read, Read Your Own Book, Fill in the Gaps
Rating: A
Published: 1999
Dates read: 11/6/11 – 12/18/11
Pages: 233

Set in the 17th Century Griet finds herself a maid in the Vermeer household. She always refers to him as “he” and never is the name Vermeer mentioned in the 233 pages of this historical piece of fiction set in Delft the Netherlands. Written in first person, Griet tells of her three years living with the master, his wife, his mother and varying number of children and one other maid. Besides her household duties of laundry, dusting and marketing, Griet helps her master grind the paint elements and pose as a substitute for people in his paintings. Though not a fast worker, the master is steady, knows his art and always has a buyer for his work. He and his wife produce a myriad of children yet his income is insufficient to feed their brood. Throughout the story we also meet Griet’s family and the family into which she’ll marry. I found the book to be a very satisfying work of art.