Last of Earth
Product details
- ISBN 9780861548620
- Dimensions: 153 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 12 Feb 2026
- Publisher: Oneworld Publications
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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A STUNNING HISTORICAL NOVEL FROM WOMEN'S PRIZE LONGLISTED AUTHOR
‘An epic, perilous odyssey.' Guardian, Book of the Day
* One of BBC's '12 books you need to read in 2026'
* A Guardian Book of the Day
* A BookBub 'Best Historical Fiction of 2026' selection
'This book is a triumph.' Laila Lalami, author of The Dream Hotel
A spellbinding story about two outsiders who venture into the Forbidden Kingdom of Tibet, both driven by a motive they are desperate to keep secret.
In 1869, the mountainous territory of Tibet is closed to foreigners, an infuriating obstacle to Europeans racing to expand their empires. In response, Britain begins training Indians – permitted to cross borders that white men may not – to undertake illicit, perilous expeditions within Tibet.
Balram is one such surveyor-spy, recruited to guide an English captain on a foolhardy mission. His path will soon cross with that of another unlikely explorer, Katherine. Fleeing a life of frustrated ambition, belittled by her male peers, Katherine has a plan to secure her legacy as the first European woman to reach Lhasa and the legendary Potala Palace.
As they battle to survive, Balram and Katherine face storms and bandits, snow leopards and soldiers, fevers and frostbite. But nothing is more dangerous than the secrets that snap at their heels, in this unforgettable story about the obsessions of the colonial enterprise, and the ways we endeavour to leave a mark on the world.
Deepa Anappara’s debut novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, was named as one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, Washington Post, Time, Guardian and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Indian Literature. Anappara is the co-editor of Letters to a Writer of Colour, a collection of personal essays on fiction, race, and culture. The Last of Earth is her second novel.
