[Reading] Recommended Books: 'The Day She Stops Being an Angel' and 'Permanent Collection'

Before I knew it, I had read many books this year.
In this post, I would like to introduce two that left a particularly deep impression on me.

Both are quiet and gentle stories. Yet, a certain strength flows deep within them.

'The Day She Stops Being an Angel' by Haruna Terachi

The protagonist, who was constantly viewed as a 'poor child,' chooses her own life without leaning on anyone's expectations—it was a story that left a lasting mark on my heart.

The protagonist lost her mother at a young age and was abandoned by her father. She ended up on a southern island. Taken in by Masako, a distant relative who ran a guesthouse, she was raised with care by the islanders, even while being called a 'morai-go' (a child taken in).

However, as she grew into an adult, the people around her began to expect meaning and a narrative from 'her past.' A virtuous person who rose above a sad background—they wanted to make her 'easy to understand' so they could indulge in their own sense of being moved.

Some men even approached her, hoping that by touching her pain, she would help them accept their own weaknesses. But each time, she quietly kept her distance. Her gaze was always calm, and she never yielded to the expectations of others.

Eventually, when her foster mother Masako retired, the protagonist returned to the island. She decided to open a guesthouse with an attached nursery. While welcoming visitors warmly in a place surrounded by nature, she never pandered to anyone, never let herself be swayed, and kept to her own pace.
In that demeanor, there was an unadorned kindness and a core of strength.

This story is not just about healing.
It carefully depicts the difference between 'living as someone else's story' and 'weaving your own story.'

After finishing it, I suddenly wondered.
Could it be that we, too, are unknowingly playing the role of an 'angel'? Trying to be a good person to meet someone's expectations, or fitting ourselves into an easy-to-understand narrative.

But if we could one day step down from that role and live more freely, more honestly, as ourselves—

perhaps the day will come when we, too, can stop being angels.

'Permanent Collection' by Maha Harada

I love stories with art as a theme, and I have read several of Maha Harada's books before, but 'Permanent Collection' has become one that left a particularly deep impression on me.

This work is a collection of short stories featuring women who work in museums and galleries. Although the settings differ, each story carefully depicts the 'moment when a person meets a work of art,' and art pieces appear not merely as objects of appreciation, but as existences that stand by one's life.

Picasso's 'The Blind Man's Meal,' Raphael's 'Madonna of the Grand Duke,' Matisse's 'Luxury'—the paintings that appear are all real masterpieces. Through the way the characters in the stories face these works, I was reminded once again of how much art can affect the human heart.

Each protagonist, while carrying their own worries, conflicts, and struggles to come to terms with the past, quietly looks forward, relying on the light of art. It wasn't overly flashy, but it left a lingering impression that truly stayed with me.

After finishing this book, I began to think, 'Will I also be able to meet a painting that resonates with the depths of my heart like this one day?' I feel like I will be able to face paintings with a slightly different mindset when I visit a museum.

This is a book I would like to gently recommend to those who love art and stories.

Conclusion

What I felt in common with both works was a quiet strength: that people can live their own stories, rather than living as someone else's.

In 'The Day She Ceases to Be an Angel,' the protagonist's journey of choosing a life true to herself while brushing off sympathy and expectations leaves a lasting impression. In 'Permanent Exhibition Room,' I felt the gentle power of art through the stories of women who gradually heal their hearts and step toward the future through their encounters with paintings.

If you are currently feeling exhausted by the expectations or roles placed upon you by others, both of these books will surely give you a gentle push forward.

Thank you so much for reading until the end! I would be happy if you could also click the 'Like' button!