Originally published in 1999, Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier is a historical fiction novel about 16-year-old Griet, who meets a genius that transforms her life — as he immortalizes her in canvas and oil. It's a dramatized, fictional account behind the famous painting in the 1600s, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer. This popular book was translated into 39 languages and became an Oscar-nominated film, starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.