content: I know what you're thinking. Is this going to be one of those artsy "literary experiences" where almost nothing happens? NO! Incredibly, this book is pretty much of a page-turner, with a group of inter-connected stories about a fictional Vermeer painting. The book is done backwards, with the contemporary story first, followed by the World War II story, the turn of the century story, etc. It works beautifully! The characters are so well drawn that you'll come to know them well in only a few pages and you'll CARE about them. You'll also care about the painting, so remarkably word-painted by Ms. Vreeland that every nuance of it is indelible in the mind. When you finish the book, you'll turn back to page one and start again. One of the best books ever, and I read evrything from Sidney Sheldon to James Joyce.