Rick has an aptitude for engineering, and he and Josie plan on spending the rest of their lives together. One of the most important people in Josie’s life is Rick, her neighbor and best friend. At Josie’s house, Klara is happy to learn more about Josie and how she can be a good Artificial Friend. Josie’s house is located in a more remote, rural area. Josie promises to buy Klara the day they meet, but it takes a long time until that day actually comes because Josie is delayed by her chronic illness. Eventually, however, she is purchased by a 14-year-old girl named Josie and her mom, whom Klara refers to as the Mother. Klara is one of the last robots of her kind to be sold at the store. Watching this happen convinces Klara that the Sun has the ability to heal and nourish humans. He seems to be dead, but he’s resurrected the next morning when the Sun comes out. One day, Klara witnesses a man on the street-whom she calls Beggar Man-stop moving. She is dismayed whenever she sees the Cootings Machine, a construction vehicle that spews pollution that blocks the Sun. In particular, Klara likes looking out the window onto the street, where she can see the people outside in the Sun. Though Klara is not the most advanced model of robot in the store, Manager notices that Klara is very observant. The store is located in a city somewhere in the United States in the near future. She begins her life in a store run by a human woman that she calls Manager. Klara, the narrator of the novel, is an Artificial Friend (AF), which means that she’s a special type of solar-powered robot that is sold to help assist with raising children.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro