Now in Paperback
New York Times Editors’ Choice
One of Audible’s “Best of The Year”
Welcome to Galveston, Texas:
an island of tourists and locals,
salty air and warm waves,
history and myth.
And hurricanes.
Carly Castillo has only ever known Galveston. Abandoned by her parents and raised by her feisty grandmother, Magdalena, Carly grew up on tales of the Karankawa people Magdalena claims are their ancestors. Still, Carly dreams of a life untethered to the island—somewhere else, anywhere else. But now her grandmother is slipping deeper into dementia. And Hurricane Ike is barreling towards them.
A kaleidoscopic tale told in many voices and spanning decades across Texas, this is a novel about home—to be rooted to a place and a community, and what happens when you want to forge your own way.
“Exquisite… A beautifully written, emotionally compelling debut novel set on the Texas coast.”
— Brad Thor, New York Times–bestselling author of Rising Tiger and Black Ice
“Written in lyrical, nearly hypnotic prose… brilliantly plotted, startling, and richly rewarding”
—Booklist
“Stunning… Garza gracefully moves through the lives of various characters as they contend with family history and the meaning of home.”
— Book Riot
“The strong sense of place carries… A worthy love letter to Galveston.”
— Publishers Weekly
The Author
A native Texan—born in Galveston, raised in Uvalde—Kimberly Garza is an associate professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The Last Karankawas is her first novel.
