The story of Griet, an intelligent 16-year-old girl who serves as assistant to Johannes Vermeer, the enigmatic 17th-century Dutch painter, and inspires the mysterious portrait of a turbaned girl with a pearl earring. Her relationship with the artist causes a stir in his Delft home, and ultimately leads this engaging story to a quite unpredictable conclusion. Among the novel's many pleasures are its period detail and its setting among the citizens of Delft.  (NTH25, $14.00)