My friends at Wunderkind PR sent me the chance to highlight this novel and it looks fabulous. I hope to have time to read it in 2026!
Here’s the scoop:
Deepa Anappara
Random House; January 13, 2026;
Hardcover; ISBN:978-0593731352; 352 Pages;
$29.00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: On Sale: January 13, 2026
From the critically acclaimed author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, Deepa Anappara, comes a sweeping historical novel set in 19th-century Tibet.
THE LASTOF EARTH: A Novel by Deepa Anappara
“One of the Most Anticipated Book of 2026”Pop Sugar“
Our 15 Most-Anticipated New Book Releases of 2026”Reader’s Digest“
Our Most Anticipated Books for 2026”BookBrowse“
One of the Most Anticipated January 2026Releases”Beyond theBookends“
Anappara pulls off a fresh mix of spooky folklore and intense naturalism, as in scenes where Balram’s ever-dwindling crew of bearers succumb to the elements, leading to a power struggle between Balram and the captain. It’s an accomplished tale.”–Publishers Weekly
1869. Tibet is closed to Europeans, an infuriating obstruction for the rapidly expanding British Empire. In response, Britain begins training Indians—permitted to cross borders that white men may not—to undertake illicit, dangerous surveying expeditions into Tibet. Balram is one such surveyor-spy, an Indian schoolteacher who, for several years, has worked for the British, often alongside his dearest friend, Gyan. But Gyan went missing on his last expedition and is rumored to be imprisoned within Tibet. Desperate to rescue his friend, Balram agrees to guide an English captain on a foolhardy mission: After years of paying others to do the exploring, the captain, disguised as a monk, wants to personally chart a river that runs through southern Tibet. Their path will cross fatefully with that of anotherWesterner in disguise, fifty-year-old Katherine. Denied a fellowship in the all-male Royal Geographical Society in London, she intends to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa. As Balram and Katherine make their way into Tibet, they will face storms and bandits, snow leopards and soldiers, fevers and frostbite. What’s more, they will have to battle their own doubts, ambitions, grief, and pasts in order to survive the treacherous landscape.A polyphonic novel about the various ways humans try to leave a mark on the world—from the enduring nature of family and friendship to the egomania and obsessions of the colonial enterprise—The Last of Earth confirms Deepa Anappara as one of our greatest and most ambitious storytellers. At a time when literary voices from colonial frontiers are being reexamined, this novel offers a fresh, critical perspective on empire, identity, and gender. Expect this to resonate with readers of historical epics, literary exploration, and thoughtfully subversive fiction.
Deepa Anappara is the critically acclaimed author of Djinn Patro lon the Purple Line, a debut novel named one of the best of 2020 byThe NewYork Times,The Washington Post,Time,The Guardian, and NPR; winner of the 2021 Edgar Award; and long-listed for theWomen’s Prize for Fiction She is a former journalist from India and reported on poverty, education, and religious violence. She is the co-editor of Letters to a Writer of Colour(2023), a collection of personal essays exploring fiction, race, and culture. Anappara’s previous novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, was theWinner of the EdgarAward, Long-listed for the Women’s Prize, Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times BookReview, Time, The Washington Post, NPR, The Guardian,a ndLibrary Journal.
Connect with Deepa Anappara:
Website:https://www.deepa-anappara.com
Instagram:@deepa.anappara
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