Elizabeth Moon
Ofelia is a colonist on another world. She loves spending her time in the garden and doesn't really have much patience for the youth of the world, including her own grown children. When the corporation that runs the colony decides that it is no longer viable (i.e. profitable), they decide to relocate the colonists to another world and try again. But Ofelia is not interested in doing this again. And because of her age, the corporation decides she is not an actual valuable colonist and plans to charge her son an additional baggage transfer fee to bring her along to the new world. Ofelia hides, and stays behind... alone. Moon has created a character with the resilience and stubbornness to survive, the patience to enjoy the solitude, and with just enough curiosity and practicality to thrive. And when Ofelia meets the locals, her role on the planet changes dramatically, whether she feels too old or not. I love the exploration that we are able to do with Ofelia, both external around the village, and internal through her memories and identity. I love the pushing against an ethnocentric worldview, even though is is brutish and obvious. Maybe that is what it takes (a bit of caricature) to get the average reader to see it. I love the evolving picture that we get of the locals, that it doesn't all just come at once. Really a fun exploration of exploring and living and being.
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