What if solar panels could think—and the woman who made it possible had to walk away to change the world?

Claire Preston is a visionary technologist with a dream: build an AI-powered solar solution that can adapt to the planet’s changing needs. With a team of rebels and reformers, she launches Sunflower Technologies—an idealistic startup challenging the status quo of clean energy.

But growth comes with a cost. As venture capital looms, competitors circle, and internal fractures widen, Claire must confront the hardest question of all: can you scale your values without selling your soul?

Shadows and Sunflowers is a lyrical, emotionally charged business-tech novel about leadership, burnout, ethical innovation, and the power of letting go. Set across Seattle, Aotearoa, and Nairobi, this is a story for dreamers, builders, and those trying to hold onto meaning in a world obsessed with scale.

For fans of Lessons in Chemistry, The Startup Wife, and The Ministry for the Future.