Girl with a Pearl Earring, Falling Angels

This edition brings together two bestselling historical novels by Tracy Chevalier: Girl with a Pearl Earring and Falling Angels. Girl with a Pearl Earring is set in 17th-century Delft, the Netherlands. It tells the story of Griet, a young maid who enters the household of the famous painter Johannes Vermeer. As Griet becomes involved in Vermeer's artistic world, she develops a unique understanding of his work and eventually becomes the model for his celebrated painting Girl with a Pearl Earring. The novel explores themes of art, class, loyalty, ambition, and the quiet tensions between duty and personal desire. Falling Angels is set in Edwardian London, beginning in 1901 after the death of Queen Victoria. The story follows two neighboring families whose daughters become close friends despite their different social backgrounds. As England undergoes major social and political changes—including the women's suffrage movement—the characters confront issues of class, freedom, family expectations, and personal identity. The novel examines how ordinary lives are transformed during a period of profound historical change.