Girl With a Pearl Earring - Tapa dura

'Chevalier's writing skill and her knowledge of seventeenth-century Delft are such that she creates a world reminiscent of a Vermeer interior: suspended in a particular moment, it transcends its time and place' New Yorker

'Chevalier's book is a delight' Simon Jenkins, Guardian

'This is a wonderful novel, mysterious, steeped in atmosphere. It is deeply revealing about the process of painting...a truly magical experience.' Guardian

'This is a novel which deserves, and I am sure will win, a prize – or two.' Times

'A portrait of radiance...Tracy Chevalier brings the real artist Vermeer and a fictional muse to life in a jewel of a novel.' Time

'It has a slow, magical current of its own that picks you up and carries you stealthily along...a beautiful story, lovingly told by a very talented writer.' Daily Mail

'Life in 17th century Delft is evoked with a sharp eye for historical detail and the descriptions of Vermeer at work are superbly drawn. A sensuous and vividly crafted work of fiction from a highly talented young novelist.' Mail on Sunday

‘This sensually luminous novel brings Vermeer and his art to life through bold sumptuous prose.’
Historical Novels Review

A brilliant historical novel on the corruption of innocence, using the famous painting by Vermeer as an inspiration.

Griet, the young daughter of a tilemaker in seventeeth century Holland, obtains her first job, as a servant in Vermeer’s household. Tracy Chevalier shows us through Griet’s eyes, the complicated family, the society of the small town of Delft, and life with an obsessive genius. Griet loves being drawn into his artistic life, and leaving her former drudgery, but the cost to her own survival may be high.