Klara and the Sun A novel
From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.
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Why we picked this
I chose this dystopian near-future book because you can read it while recharging under sun, like Klara does. Klara, a solar-powered android designed to be a child's companion, is eventually purchased for Josie, a girl suffering from a mysterious and grave illness.
Through Klara's integration into Josie's family, Ishiguro explores a world much like our own where everything has been engineered and optimized within an inch of its life - "intelligence," education, success, companionship, and even family. The most human character of all is, of course, the robot. Just thinking about Klara's intelligent, altruistic, loyal, curious, and empathetic POV makes me blubber.
Timely. Moving.
Recommended by Anna Schechter, Reader in Residence
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