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This book has been on my shelf for years, so I randomly picked it up with low expectations, looking for something calm, easy and historical, and was immediately drawn in to author Susan Vreeland’s imaginary tale of a 17th century Dutch painting, assumed to be the work of master Johannes Vermeer, and its journey through the centuries. ‘Girl In Hyacinth Blue� is a series of tightly interwoven short stories that make a complete novel. Each story is its own time capsule, taking us backward through eight owners� personal histories and emotional ties to the painting, and each story becomes a bit more compelling as we near the creation of the painting itself. Along the way, a mystery develops about the parentage of a swaddled newborn left inside a skiff with the painting and a cryptic, hand-scrawled message: “Sell the painting. Feed the child.� The resolution of this mystery was perfect.

An entertaining escapist read with beautifully written characters and Netherlands landscapes and heartily recommended to anyone who liked ‘Girl With A Pearl Earring� or who appreciates stories about the timeless, personal power of art.

“Now it became clear to her what made her love the girl in the painting. It was her quietness. A painting, after all, can’t speak. Yet she felt this girl, sitting inside a room but looking out, was probably quiet by nature, like she was. But that didn’t mean the girl didn’t want anything . . . Her face told her she probably wanted something so deep or so remote that she never dared breathe it but was thinking about it there by the window.� ~ Hannah Vredenburg