pearl.

Growing up, I remember having a reading list during summer vacation of books I was required to read before the prior school year.

Even though I loved to read, I detested not being able to choose what books I wanted.

The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I required to read several historical fiction books in preparation for my AP European History class. I also was required to buy my textbook so I could highlight and make notes in it like a real university student.

I remember getting required books and starting to flip through the pages of the text. I was captivated by the photos - especially of the European art we would be studying in context to the various time periods.

One of the photos in the textbook was the same as the one on a historical novel - The Girl with a Pearl Earring. I had never heard of Vermeer and had no interest in learning more about Holland. But for whatever reason, this image of the turban-clad girl with the piercing eyes struck me.

I started reading Tracy Chevalier's fictional novel of the same title, and absolutely fell in love with the text. To this day, Girl with a Pearl Earring is still my favourite book.

Little did I know that about five years later, I would come across Vermeer again in an art history class during university. Our final essay assignment was to analyze and study every angle about a piece of art we had discussed during the semester, and I immediately know what I would do.

My study of Girl with a Pearl Earring had me running around Toronto to paint stores studying the pigments and other colours used for the piece, slipping into the University of Toronto's main library to access their expansive art history book collection and writing over 2,000 words about the mysterious girl.

My friends have even gotten into it. I've received cards, books and little quotes all reflecting elements of The Girl with a Pearl Earring. 

As I start to compile my reading list for the rest of the summer, I'm grabbing as many books as I can that I haven't read. However, I stumbled across my original copy of Girl with a Pearl Earring from all those years ago and knew it was time to fall back in love with the story again.