National Bestseller!Return to the sprawling, Hugo Award-winning universe of theGalactic Commonsto explore another corner of the cosmos—one often mentioned, but not yet explored—in this absorbing entry in theWayfarersseries, which blends heart-warming characters & imaginative adventure.With no water, no air, & no native life, the planetGorais unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep theGalactic Commonsconnected. If deep space is a highway,Gorais just your average truck stop. At theFive-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. TheFive-Hopis run by an enterprising alien & her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and fromGora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at theFive-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, & a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, & what they are, or could be, to each other.