Vermeer's Hat

''Effortless and compelling, Brooks is a wonderful storyteller. I doubt I will read a better book this year.'' Sunday TelegraphEach of Vermeer''s paintings tells a story. In one, a military officer leans toward a laughing girl; in another, a woman stands by a window and weighs silver; in a third, fruit spills from a porcelain bowl onto a lavish Turkish carpet. Hiding in plain sight, these details ...