"Permanent Collection" by Maha Harada is a collection of six short stories about women's dramas and their connections to real fine art and museums.
The majority of the protagonists are women in their forties who are at a crossroads in their lives, dealing with issues such as career and elderly parents. With her background in the arts, Maha Harada is well-suited to portraying such women.
The first story, "The Color of Life," and the final one, "La Strada," were the most moving for me, and nearly brought me to tears on the commuter train.
I'm not much of a fine art person, but her novels provide me with a fantastic experience in which I can appreciate both fine art and literature at the same time, despite the fact that they are two different types of art. The author's knowledge of art makes her a notable figure in the world of literature.