This periodic novel depicts life in the 17th century Holland through the story of Griet - a sixteen year old middle class
girl, whose father is a former tile-maker. The father lost his sight in a working accident, causing him to lose the ability to
work and thus bringing the family of five to a state of near poverty. To assist the family, Griet is sent to work as a maid on the house of the famous Dutch painter, Jan Vermeer. At first, Griet finds it difficult to get used to her new, lower status, the hard work, the degrading attitude and the religious differences between her and the Vermeer family (as she is a Protestant and they are Catholic), but she soon overcomes these difficulties, becomes a good worker and gets accustomed to her new life. Day by day, Griets finds her place in her new home and even manages to create some friendships with most of the family. After a while, Griet becomes a personal assistant to Vemeer, keeps the
studio clean and makes sure his colors are mixed and ready. During the work in his studio they become closer, and Vermeer ends up using Griet as model for one of his painting – much to his wife’s disapproval and resentment. This event causes a great deal of change in everyone’s lives. Later on, Griet meets the Bucher Pieter and his son – also Pieter. Pieter the son falls in love with Griet and, after much flattering and wooing on his side, the two begin an affair which later ends with their marriage. Tracy Chevalier managed to portray a believable portrait of life in the 17th century Holland. The story is vivid, exciting and succeeds in conveying the stories behind Vermeer’s paintings.
You can read the first chapter of the book here: http://www.tchevalier.com/gwape/index.html