Short description
An international bestseller with over two million copies sold, this is a story of an artist's desire for beauty and the ultimate corruption of innocence.
Long description
An international bestseller with over two million copies sold, this is a story of an artist's desire for beauty and the ultimate corruption of innocence. 17th Century Holland. When Griet becomes a maid in the household of Johannes Vermeer in the town of Delft, she thinks she knows her role: housework, laundry and the care of his six children. But as she becomes part of his world and his work, their growing intimacy spreads tension and deception in the ordered household and, as the scandal seeps out, into the town beyond. Tracy Chevalier's extraordinary historical novel on the corruption of innocence and the price of genius is a contemporary classic perfect for fans of Sarah Dunant and Philippa Gregory.
Review
'A portrait of radiance!Tracy Chevalier brings the real artist Vermeer and a fictional muse to life in a jewel of a novel' Time 'Chevalier doesn't put a foot wrong in this triumphant work ! It is a beautifully written tale that mirrors the elegance of the painting that inspired it' Wall Street Journal '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 'A wonderful novel, mysterious, steeped in atmosphere, deeply revealing about the process of painting!truly magical' Guardian