Pertinent Info

Girl In Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland (Penguin, 2000).
I read it in March, 2010.

Why’d I Read It?

If you’ll recall, I loved Vreeland’s Luncheon of the Boating Party.  When I love an author, I tend to hop on the library’s website and reserve all of their books.

What I Thought

Excellent.  As I mentioned before, I’ve read several books in the “story behind a painting” genre, and I love them.  This one took a different approach, however, working backwards through the painting’s various owners over the centuries until arriving at the time of its creation.  This journey through the painting’s provenance is a unique (at least in my experience) way to look at and appreciate the different effects art can have on people.

I kept wondering if the author would bring us back to the original characters in the story…specifically, the narrator of the first chapter.  Whether she did or didn’t (I hate ruining endings), I found myself very pleased with the outcome.

Favorite Lines

“…I came to recognize the tenacity of superstition…”

“…she heard the creak and thrum of the south windmill turning like her heart in the sea wind…”

Would I Recommend It?

Yes