book review: the girl with the pearl earring

a beautifully rendered coming of age story. a smart and sassy young girl forced by poverty into the service of a wealthier family -- the family of one of the dutch masters. her intelligence and beauty lead her into great things, but also a great deal of trouble trying to weather the turmoils of the household, never able to get on the good side of everyone. She does get to witness and participate and help the great painter, Veermeer, do his work. We get a glimpse of this process and can imagine why it and the man captivate her. And vice versa. It will be interesting to see how the movie comes out.