I found this softcover in this Little Free Library in Brookline, NH while dropping off some books of my own, and as it's been on my wishlist for some time, I grabbed it. (It's the first of the "Wayfarers" series of spacefaring novels, which I discovered via the excellent Record of a Spaceborn Few.)

Later: While this book has a very different tone to that of Spaceborn Few, I still enjoyed it very much - it provides another angle on the various peoples who make their livings in the galaxy. The story opens with a nervous Rosemary Harper signing on with the Wayfarer, a small freighter with a delightful diverse and quirky crew. Rosemary is harboring a secret - she's the child of an infamous tycoon whose shady dealings have recently been brought to light, and she's gone to great lengths to conceal her identity and disconnect from her traitorous parent. But can she fit in with this unusual crew?

The story meanders along, with occasional moments of intense drama followed by lots of how-the-ship-works, where-will-we-find-spare-parts, and the getting-to-know-each-other bits - all quite charming. Even the most cantankerous and unlikeable crew member turns out to have hidden depths, and there are unexpected romantic connections here and there: including one between the diminutive engineer Jenks and the ship's cordial, helpful AI Lovey - makes sense in context.

As the story unfolds we learn about the backgrounds and cultures of the different crew members - some much more problematic than others, but all presenting challenges when they must live and work with beings from wildly different cultures. But seeing them forging a family, overcoming obstacles, and fighting for each other - it's quite lovely, and very hopeful! (Also frequently very funny - I'd love to spend more time with these characters. Could make a dandy TV series, too, in the right hands; special-effects technology would permit the many and varied alien species to be rendered nicely.)

[There's a TV Tropes page on the series, with some entertaining tidbits.]

I'm adding this book to the To the Stars: A Science Fiction Bookbox 3.0, which will be on its way to its next stop soon. Hope everyone enjoys the selection!

** Released for the 2024 Science Fiction challenge. **

This book landed here in the Sci-Fi bookbox. I read it previously, but I couldn't resist journaling it so I could watch it travel.

Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer spaceship. She meets some totally exotic aliens and gets to see the galaxy. I adored all of the characters in this story. I devoured the book and moved right on to the follow-on books. Unlike many series, each book in this series is an absolute gem.

I picked this book out of Spatial's To the Stars bookbox. Thanks for sharing!