In one of the most acclaimed and idiosyncratic novels of recent years, Kazuo Ishiguro depicts the lives of a group of students growing up in a dark version of contemporary England. Narrated by Kathy, now 31, "Never Let Me Go" poignantly portrays her struggle to come to terms with her past at the seemingly idyllic Hailsham School and the fate that always awaited her and her closest friends in the outside world. This story of love, friendship, and memory is imbued with a sense of the fragility of life.