A newly (and illegally) embodied AI tries to start her life over when a system error erases all memories of her previous life.  Sidra, previously known as Lovey, awakens in a body kit that she never wanted, amidst a crew of grief stricken friends who all knew her previous installation.  Unable to bear the weight of the grief over a life that was never hers, she leaves with Pepper, the modder who helped to install her in the body kit.

This is a story told from Sidra and Pepper’s dual POVs.  We see through Sidra’s eyes as she struggles with crippling body dysphoria.  And we learn Pepper’s story as we find out that she was created in a factory, raised to labor endlessly to repair discarded technology for the wealthy.  When an accident shows her a fleeting glimpse of an outside world that she never knew existed, she seizes the chance to leave behind everything she’s ever known to make her own way in the world.

Favorite Parts - I loved watching Pepper learn about the world through Sims (Big Bug Crew forever!), and it was so hard to watch Sidra struggling with the body kit, but also so rewarding to see her befriending Tak.  I liked the way Pepper and Blue changed their home configuration around to help her and I loved loved loved the casual way that Becky Chambers does inclusion.  Sure there’s a race that changes genders every month or so and of course everyone is cool with it and does pronouns right.