Genre Fiction
![Kimberly Garza - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_kimberly_garza.jpg)
The Last Karankawas: A Novel
"Beautiful, complex, and subversive, The Last Karankawas is an important book about Texas from a powerful new voice in American fiction. I loved it." ―Elizabeth Wetmore, New York Times bestselling author of Valentine
A blazing and kaleidoscopic debut about a tight-knit community of Mexican and Filipino American families on the Texas coast from a voice you won't soon forget.
Welcome to Galveston, Texas. Population 50,241.
A popular tourist destination and major shipping port, Galveston attracts millions of visitors each year. Yet of those who come to drink by the beach, few stray from the boulevards to Fish Village, the neighborhood home to individuals who for generations have powered the island.
Carly Castillo has only ever known Fish Village. Her grandmother claims that they descend from the Karankawas, an extinct indigenous Texan tribe, thereby tethering them to Galveston. But as Carly ages, she begins to imagine a life elsewhere, undefined by her family's history. Meanwhile, her boyfriend and all-star shortstop turned seaman, Jess, treasures the salty, familiar air. He's gotten chances to leave Galveston for bigger cities with more possibilities. But he didn't take them then, and he sure as hell won't now. When word spreads of a storm gathering strength offshore, building into Hurricane Ike, each Galveston resident must make a difficult decision: board up the windows and hunker down or flee inland and abandon their hard-won homes.
Moving through these characters' lives and those of the extraordinary individuals who circle them, Kimberly Garza's The Last Karankawas weaves together a multitude of voices to present a lyrical, emotionally charged portrait of everyday survival. The result is an unforgettable exploration of familial inheritance, human resilience, and the histories we assign to ourselves, reminding us that the deepest bonds are forged not by blood, but by fire.
A blazing and kaleidoscopic debut about a tight-knit community of Mexican and Filipino American families on the Texas coast from a voice you won't soon forget.
Welcome to Galveston, Texas. Population 50,241.
A popular tourist destination and major shipping port, Galveston attracts millions of visitors each year. Yet of those who come to drink by the beach, few stray from the boulevards to Fish Village, the neighborhood home to individuals who for generations have powered the island.
Carly Castillo has only ever known Fish Village. Her grandmother claims that they descend from the Karankawas, an extinct indigenous Texan tribe, thereby tethering them to Galveston. But as Carly ages, she begins to imagine a life elsewhere, undefined by her family's history. Meanwhile, her boyfriend and all-star shortstop turned seaman, Jess, treasures the salty, familiar air. He's gotten chances to leave Galveston for bigger cities with more possibilities. But he didn't take them then, and he sure as hell won't now. When word spreads of a storm gathering strength offshore, building into Hurricane Ike, each Galveston resident must make a difficult decision: board up the windows and hunker down or flee inland and abandon their hard-won homes.
Moving through these characters' lives and those of the extraordinary individuals who circle them, Kimberly Garza's The Last Karankawas weaves together a multitude of voices to present a lyrical, emotionally charged portrait of everyday survival. The result is an unforgettable exploration of familial inheritance, human resilience, and the histories we assign to ourselves, reminding us that the deepest bonds are forged not by blood, but by fire.
Editorial Reviews
An Indie Next Pick for August 2022
Named a Most Anticipated and Must-Read Book by Buzzfeed, Book Riot, and Ms. Magazine
"Written in lyrical, nearly hypnotic prose that makes the reader feel the Texan humidity, this is a brilliantly plotted, startling, and richly rewarding exploration of the myths that bind people together, generational traumas, and the remarkable adaptability of humans."
―Booklist
"Stunning . . . Garza gracefully moves through the lives of various characters as they contend with family history and the meaning of home."
―Book Riot
"Garza highlights the diverse origins and worldview behind the brown faces of Texas's south coast . . . Evocative, sometimes heartbreaking, and full of rich descriptions, The Last Karankawas is a love letter to the Galveston most tourists never see and a tribute to the people who sustain, and are sustained by, their adopted homeland."
―Shelf Awareness
"Garza debuts with an accomplished account of the ties between members of a Filipino and Mexican community . . . This is a worthy love letter to Galveston."
―Publishers Weekly
"The Last Karankawas is exactly the kind of book I've spent my life searching for as a Chicana of mixed and Filipino heritage. Kimberly Garza's eloquent and deeply observant debut expands our understanding of South Texas and vibrantly honors the remarkable people who live there. This is a writer to watch."
―Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Woman of Light and Sabrina & Corina
"Beautiful, complex, and subversive, The Last Karankawas is an important book about Texas from a powerful new voice in American fiction. I loved it. These characters and their stories will stay with me."
―Elizabeth Wetmore, New York Times bestselling author of Valentine
"D...
Named a Most Anticipated and Must-Read Book by Buzzfeed, Book Riot, and Ms. Magazine
"Written in lyrical, nearly hypnotic prose that makes the reader feel the Texan humidity, this is a brilliantly plotted, startling, and richly rewarding exploration of the myths that bind people together, generational traumas, and the remarkable adaptability of humans."
―Booklist
"Stunning . . . Garza gracefully moves through the lives of various characters as they contend with family history and the meaning of home."
―Book Riot
"Garza highlights the diverse origins and worldview behind the brown faces of Texas's south coast . . . Evocative, sometimes heartbreaking, and full of rich descriptions, The Last Karankawas is a love letter to the Galveston most tourists never see and a tribute to the people who sustain, and are sustained by, their adopted homeland."
―Shelf Awareness
"Garza debuts with an accomplished account of the ties between members of a Filipino and Mexican community . . . This is a worthy love letter to Galveston."
―Publishers Weekly
"The Last Karankawas is exactly the kind of book I've spent my life searching for as a Chicana of mixed and Filipino heritage. Kimberly Garza's eloquent and deeply observant debut expands our understanding of South Texas and vibrantly honors the remarkable people who live there. This is a writer to watch."
―Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Woman of Light and Sabrina & Corina
"Beautiful, complex, and subversive, The Last Karankawas is an important book about Texas from a powerful new voice in American fiction. I loved it. These characters and their stories will stay with me."
―Elizabeth Wetmore, New York Times bestselling author of Valentine
"D...
