I was completely floored by how much I enjoyed Klara and the Sun, a beautiful novel filled with emotion. It is a completely engrossing read and offers perspectives on love, hope, faith, family, and relationships.

Klara is an AF, an Artificial Friend, and she spends her day watching the sun, and the people go by outside her storefront, fostering a hope that one day she will be chosen, and go home with a special person.

From vantage points around the store, she begins to observe, and interpret, in her own way, the motivations and activities of the people around her, giving the reader a fresh perspective on the world around her and us.

Klara is finally selected by a teenager, Josie, who promises that they will be the best of friends, but also lets her know that sometimes things won’t always be great. She’s a little sick. But Klara is optimistic, polite and an incredibly loyal friend.

There is some initial discomfort between her and Josie’s Mother, something that is expanded on as the novel progresses, and the reader begins to understand why even if Klara isn’t completely sure. As the story plays out there are revelations, and some heartbreak, as we look at the world that Klara lives in.

Set just a short time in the future, the world is recognizable, and on the cusp of several things that are only hinted at in the narrative as Klara encounters more of Josie’s friends and family. Through it all, Klara observes humanity and shows faith in the power of the sun, something which powers her own solar cells and consequently grounds her belief that all things must be similarly influenced.

There are hints of religion through faith, the enduring love of family, the romantic love of the young, and the bittersweet love brought on by age and rediscovery. We all see how we treat our technology and the things we create.

The book’s ending moved me and has stayed with me since I put it down, leaving a last haunting image in my head.

Poignant, moving, and as layered as the human heart, Klara and the Sun is a thoughtful, and gentle future tale that leaves you thinking about the world around you, how we interact with it, and how we interact with those we love.

I couldn’t put it down, and I loved every moment with Klara, exploring the world and humanity through her eyes.

If you’ve not read it, I can’t recommend this one enough, a beautiful and moving read written by a master storyteller. A fantastic masterpiece about love and life.