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A book that tackles big questions about humanity through the eyes of a nonhuman being, Klara and the Sun is a heartbreaking dissection of loneliness, power and love. Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro centers his eighth novel on a robot-like “Artificial Friend” named Klara and her observations about the humans who surround her. Klara sits in a shop, waiting for a customer to select her and take her home. When her day finally comes, she becomes the companion to a 14-year-old girl and their friendship challenges everything she’s come to understand about her role in this disquieting world, one that is very similar to our present moment. A Booker Prize longlist nominee, Ishiguro’s latest is as contemplative as it is bold and offers a devastating window into an eerily near future where artificial intelligence might just play a larger role in all of our lives.

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