Looking for something quick to read, I picked up this book which my wife had bought and read some time ago. In all honesty I didn't think I was going to like it; perhaps find it an amusing read but that's about it. I was wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, finishing it in only 2 days. The way the novel goes back and forth in time is refreshing; Chevalier is not wordy nor cumbersome, and makes the transitions easy to follow, and intuitive within the framework of the narration. Her writing voice is clear and engaging, bringing you along for the ride with little effort. The conclusion shocked me, even though I was already expecting it, a testament to her good storytelling skills. Amazingly, I was actually left waiting to know more about the lives of the two protagonists, Isabel and Ella, what happens after the book ends. Few books leave me like that, so engaged in the lives of the characters that I would like to keep tabs on their post-novel lives. Chevalier solidly cemented a place in my mental library of authors to keep an eye out all the time, and I can't wait to read Girl With a Pearl Earring.