Girl with a Pearl Earring

Because art history was never this deliciously juicy.

In her second novel, Tracy Chevalier imagines the life of the model for Vermeer's iconic painting: a young maid named Griet who lives in the 17th-century Dutch master's household (you saw her luminous portrait in the window of every bookstore in the world). Vermeer secretly makes her his assistant, and though her sense of color and composition are extraordinary, Griet can never rise above her station, nor can she shake off the suspicions of his jealous wife.This riveting story is filled with insights into painting, genius and what really endures even when our deepest yearnings—for love and recognition—are thwarted.

— Dawn Raffel