Sleepless Nights

For some reason I just was not able to sleep last night. My husband's allergies (which result in him snoring) do have something to do with it, but instead of going out to lay on the couch and sleep there, or read there, I decided to get up and make some Amish bread. That was at 3:30 AM. I also exercised and did two loads of laundry, showered, got three girls ready for school and did the dishes. I feel sort of accomplished today. Later I will probably feel sort of tired. I also finished Rembrandt's Daughter by Lynne Cullen. This one is already out in paperback, so it's been out a while, but I always hesitated to pick it up. The 1600s aren't really my era of choice when I pick out historical fiction books to read. However, I was happily surprised by this title. I started reading and just couldn't put down Rembrandt's Daughter. While Rembrandt did have a daughter, Cornelia, out of wedlock, much of Rembrandt's relationship with his daughter has been fictionalized. There's a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance and a little bit of tragedy as the plague makes it's way around Amsterdam. Historical notes about each person at the end help give a better perspective of the relationships of the characters and how their lives played out. As I was reading I thought back to Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier that I read several years ago now - an historical fiction book about Jan Vermeer. While that book was good, I enjoyed I am Rembrandt's Daughter even more and recommend this to any high school or adult reader.