Mrs. Murakami's Garden

An allegorical novel following the widowed keeper of a mysterious garden. When art student Izu's teacher asks her to visit the famous collection of Mr. Murakami, she publishes a firm rebuttal to his curation. Instead of responding with fury, the rich man pursues her hand in marriage. When we meet her in the opening pages, Mrs. Murakami is watching the demolition of her now-dead husband's most prized part of the estate: his garden. The novel that follows takes place in a strange, not-quite-real Japan of the author's imagination. But who, in fact, holds the role of author? As Mr. Murakami's garden is demolished, so too is the narrative's authenticity, leaving the reader to wonder: did this book's creator exist at all?