From the back cover:

A luminous tale about art and human experience that is as breathtaking as any Vermeer painting.
A professor invites a colleague from the art department to his home to see a painting that he has kept secret for decades. The professor swears it is a Vermeer -- why has he hidden this important work for so long? The reasons unfold in a series of stories that trace ownership of the painting back to World War II and Amsterdam, and still further back to the moment of the work's inspiration. As the painting moves through each owner's hands, what was long hidden quietly surfaces, illuminating poignant moments in human lives. Vreeland's characters remind us, through their love of the mysterious painting, how beauty transforms and why we reach for it, what lasts, and what in our lives is singular and unforgettable.

I dug right into this book and ended up reading it in one day! It is not a long read, and the reverse chronology vignettes about the fictitious painting by Vermeer, "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" were very engrossing and at times surprising. I loved Vreeland's lush descriptions of Netherlands landscapes and scenery - you almost felt as if you were right there! This book wasn't just narratives of nature's beauty -- Vreeland also described poverty and the finality of life very well, too. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and some of the imagery Vreeland created will stay with me.

**Reserved for bookring starting in January, 2006**

Reserved for bookring to start in January, 2006...

Here is the final order:

1. cherylllr, Nevada (can ship int'l)
2. stacyinthecity, New York (US only)
3. colebear, Florida (can ship int'l)
4. jessicaloveyou, Singapore (in'tl)<-- currently here
5. cat207, Australia (int'l)
6. purple-lily, Australia (int'l)
7. sherria, Connecticut (int'l)
8. satnam, New Hampshire (int'l)
9. luintaurien, Nebraska (int'l)
10. back to taaza, Wisconsin

Just a few Bookring Guidelines:

-- Journal the book as soon as you receive it, and contact the next person for their mailing address.
-- Please try to read within 4 weeks so the ring keeps moving along.
-- Take a moment to journal your thoughts on the book when finished. It's interesting to read other's feelings on the book, too!
-- I realize sometimes “life happens” and if you find yourself running behind, or need to be skipped, etc., just PM me letting me know what’s up and we can work it out. I’m pretty flexible, as long as we communicate!

Rec'd Jan 20 - shouldn't take too long to read it - looks lovely.

quick read that stays with you long after you're done - evocative vignettes about the power of art on the people whose lives were touched by a certain piece, and interesting lessons in the techniques and motivations of the artist - especially interesting in that so many of the people interpreted the art differently, even though it was "just" a portrait and therefore may not seem to be as subject to interpretation as would abstract art seem to be - sent on to the next BookRing member last week

Book just arrived! I've got one 300 page book in front of this one, but I should start reading it within a week from now, and finish in about 2 weeks. The book looks beautiful!!

I thought this was a beautiful and wonderful book. It is the story of a painting, and glimpses of the lives it touched along the way as it changed hands for centuries. I think my favorite sections were at the end, at the birth of the painting. This is a book that I might need to get for myself to reread it.

This book is ready to be shipped Monday morning!

Yay! I had two rings in my mailbox today. I should get to this one pretty soon and I'll send it along in a timely manner.

I thought The Girl in Hyacinth Blue was a beautiful and captivating little book.

I'm quite honestly surprised that I liked it so much because it was written almost as a collection of short stories and I have never been overly fond of short stories. Actually, I think the reason I love this book is the way Susan Vreeland treats the painting as the central character. The painting is a silent observer in the lives of many different people through the years, and it touches its owner’s lives in many unique ways.

I have a couple of other books by Ms. Vreeland on my bookshelf, and now I'll have to move them up on my priority list!

Thank you tazza, for including me in this ring and I’ll mail it to jessicaloveyou in Singapore via surface mail on my lunch break today.

Imagine my surprise when the gentleman at the Post Office told me it only cost $1.50 more to ship this to Singapore via airmail which would shave off 3 weeks of travel time. Well, I had to take advantage of such a great bargin so jessicaloveyou should receive it in 7-10 business days. Enjoy and Happy Bookcrossing!

i've just received this book