The Madonnas of Leningrad (D. Dean)

Debra Dean's first novel, The Madonnas of Leningrad, is a marvelous work of historical fiction. The plot centers on the life of Marina, alternating between her young adulthood and elder years.  As a young adult, Marina lives in Russia and is a tour guide at the Hermitage Museum. When the Nazi siege on Leningrad begins, she helps to pack up to the artwork, saving it from destruction. She and many others then live in the Hermitage basement, barely surviving the war. In Marina's elder years, she lives in the United States as a wife, mother, and grandmother battling dementia. The interplay of her young and old memories is beautifully woven. The most compelling theme, to me, is that there is always beauty to be found, even amidst terrible suffering, tragedy, and the march of time. 

The Madonnas is based in the history of the Russian people and their relationship to the museum itself. If you're interested, check out the history section of the museum's webpage for more information.  (Read the book first, though!)