Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 (1664)
Griet is in the kitchen chopping vegetables for dinner when a man and a woman enter. The man walks over and asked Griet why she has the vegetables the way she did and Griet says " the colors fight with each other", this makes the man interested in what she said. Griet learns at the end of the chapter that she will be a maid for them.
Chapter 3 (1664 51-73)
In this chapter Griet learns that the Vermeer family is short on money. She is very surprised because she thought the family was rich and didn't think they could barely afford to pay her.
Chapter 5 (1665 95-125)
Griet visits her parents and describes Vermeer painting to her father. Griet father has been moody since Anges death. After dinner Griet and her mom walked to the river and she tells Griet she knows the butcher son is playing her attention. Griet doesn't care about him because she has a crush on her master.
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Chapter 7 ( 1665 150-180)
Catharina becomes very interested in locking her jewelry box. Griet also knows that Catharina plans to move her back down to the attic. If Catharia moves Griet to the attic she knows that she will no longer be able to work with her master and she says she may leave.
Chapter 9 ( 1666 203-229)
One day when Griet was bringing Catharina a glass of wine her master was there and saw Catharina pearl earrings and knew Griet had to wear them to make the painting complete. She knew if Catharina found out she was wearing her pearl earring she would kick her out.
Chapter 2 (1664 24-51)
It is Griet first day as a maid and she is doing the laundry. Tanneke interrupted her from doing the laundry and went and took her to the market. In this she meets the family and learn what she will have to do in the household. She is not comfortable because it is a lot of Catholic paintings and she is not a Catholic
Chapter 4 (1664 73-94)
Maria thins tells Griet she can fully clean the studio because the painting is done. Griet does not want to clean the studio because she got use to seeing him paint. When Van Ruijven comes over to look at the painting he becomes attracted to Griet. Which makes her uncomfortable because she knows what happened with him and the last maid.
Chapter 6 ( 1665 125-150)
Pieter the son shows up to Griet Church . Griet mother is pleased and invites Pieter over for dinner . Pieter starts to visit more often and Griet parents start to want Griet to marry Pieter because they know if she becomes the wife of a butcher they would never go hungry.
Chapter 8 ( 1666 183-203)
Griet father starts wondering why she smell like oil so her father won't figure out her master is painting her she starts to describe Vermeer paintings. When she was walking to the ally on Sunday with Pieter and he told her he would marry her one day. This makes her nerves because she only wants to be with her master.
Chapter 10 ( 1676 233-248)
In this chapter the story fast forwards 10 years after Griet ran away from the Vermeer household. During the ten years she married Pieter and had two sons Jan and Frans. Tanneke walked up to Griet at her butcher's stall the first time they will talk in 10 years and tells her to go back to the house. Griet is nervous but she goes and Catharina gives her the pearl earrings that made her leave the house many years ago.