Genre Fiction

Tracy Chevalier has been on my mind lately since she has a new book - Burning Bright (2007) - and since, after careful consideration, I chose The Birth of Venus (2004) by Sarah Dunant, a novel with Tracy tones, as my next read.

Although I haven’t cracked Burning Bright yet, I own and have read all of her other historical fiction novels. I recommend reading them all, in this order:

1. Girl with a Pearl Earring (1999): I don’t care if you have seen the Scarlett Johansson movie version. In fact, that’s even more reason to dive in: While the story did translate well to film, Chevalier’s A+ ability to describe color, vision, wonder, and discovery was lost.

2. The Lady and the Unicorn (2003): I never imagined that some one, some book, could forever change the way that I look at tapestries. Learn about weaving, designing, dying, and all while watching the artist and his master’s daughter fall in love.

3. Falling Angels (2001): Less artistic than the others; more about the people themselves. It’s a weird pairing of tales - childhood friendship juxtaposed with a mother’s sexual exploration - but they are easily connected with their humanistic aspects.

4. The Virgin Blue (1997): Unfortunately, unmemorable. However, very readable. I loved every second of it as the story tore me through the pages, but the second the covers were closed the details were lost.

Intrigued? Tracy Chevalier’s Web site allows you to read the first chapter of each book, learn her inspirations, and travel the true historical trails of each novel. And everyone, whether you’ve read it before or not, must experience the colorful cooking experience of Girl with a Pearl Earring’s first chapter.