Great historical novel of Holland during the time of Rembrant and Vermeer as seen through the view of a young female artist Franscesca. ( )

Found this fascinating, still think of it many years after reading it. ( )

Fun mindless reading for those times in which one doesn't want to think too much. A bit too girlish. But I definitely enjoyed the descriptions of day to day life in the Netherlands of the time. ( )

A golden blend of art, intrigue, and romance!: Set in late 17th Century Amsterdam, this is a novel about a family of artists headed by their loving but self-centered father, Hendrick Visser, whose selfish decisions end up having serious consequences for his daughters. Visser can't seem to stop drinking and gambling and is constantly leaving his wife, servants, and daughters to side step the creditors pounding the doors.

Francesca shows promise as an artist and is all set to begin an apprenticeship under Johannes Vermeer because his style of using "layers of light" is similar to her own. She is bound and determined that nothing, not even a budding romance with a tulip grower named Pieter, deter her from her goal of becoming a great master.

Alleta, is a beautiful carefree girl with a gorgeous head of hair. One fateful day after a day playing at her friends house she makes a decision that ends up scarring her emotionally and she turns inwards, covers her hair, and becomes hardened to the world. She too is determined to have an apprenticeship and since her father can't afford to send her too, she goes behind his back and sells inferior work to the middle class without her fathers permission in order to gain the money needed. This leads to an estrangement between the two and Aletta sets out on her own eventually securing work as housekeeper for Constantijn, a bitter young man who lost his legs in a horrible accident. Although, Francesca is touted as the main character, the story of Aletta and Constantijn was, to me, the most touching and beautiful.

Sybila is the youngest and is thus spoiled rotten. An outrageous flirt, whose sole goal in life is to marry a rich man. Eventually, she gets what she wants but soon learns that all that glitters is not gold and that true love comes in unexpected places.

Ludolf Van Deventer is a secretive man with an unknown background. He falls in love with Francesca's image in one of her fathers painting and will stop at nothing to possess her. He quickly learns of her father's weaknesses and easily exploits them to his advantage eventually bringing the future and happiness of both Francesca and her father under his thumb.

Rosalind Laker does a wonderful job of weaving the lives of these character together into a beautiful exciting story. The plot unfolds beautifully but slowly allowing the reader to really become invested in each character. The last 50 pages will have you on the end of your seat!! The title is a bit deceiving as the novel is really more about art than tulips. The reason, however, for the title becomes clear near the end of the novel.

While the Visser family is a product of Laker's imagination, she gives lush vivid descriptions of real life master's paintings and Rembrandt even has a small part in the story. Being unfamiliar with art in general, I had to look up the paintings described and found that her depictions were spot on. I was particularly taken with Jan Vermeer's use of light. I had forgotten so much from my one required college art class but this brought a lot back to mind. She seems to really "get" and artist and allows her reader to get inside the head of an artist.

This was a beautiful novel with a delicate balance of romance, art, character development, and suspense. I highly recommend this one. It's worth every bit of the five stars I give it!

I quite enjoyed the remarkably strong protagonist, Francesca. She is willful and talented, and I always enjoy historical fiction novels about artists. The events surrounding the plot are well-developed and believable. ( )