Girl in Hyacinth Blue
This book is about the history of a painting as it passes from one owner to the next. There are eight little stories from present day, back to the original conception of the painting by the artist. The artist may or may not be Johannes Van der Meer or, that is, Vermeer. This may be a bit confusing as the story is told backwards, but it is nonetheless intriguing.
The final chapters about the artist shed light on the life of a penniless artist and what that must have been like with a family of 11 children to feed. There are struggles throughout the book by various characters. I think the one tie among all the characters is the ethical dilemma to do what’s right. This is well said by The Fray, “Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.”
This gem of a book is short and won’t take long for you to wrap up. The stories will stay with you for a great while; they are striking, shimmering, and unforgettable.
