The Last Karankawas Audiobook By Kimberly Garza cover art

The Last Karankawas

A Novel

Preview
Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Last Karankawas

By: Kimberly Garza
Narrated by: Adriana Sananes, André Santana, Becca Q. Co, Reggie De Leon
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.24

Buy for $20.24

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

"Debut author Garza skillfully links brilliantly crafted episodes to create an unforgettable community in Galveston, TX...Indeed, staying well-tuned to Garza’s work earns enduring rewards."
Booklist (starred review)

"These rich performances, a chorus of different tones and accents, create a beautiful tapestry of a complicated city and the people who call it home." -
AudioFile Magazine

"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 indigenous Texas people once believed to be extinct, 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 Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

©2022 Kimberly Garza (P)2022 Macmillan Audio
Fiction Genre Fiction Latino American Literary Fiction Southern Southern States United States World Literature Texas
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup

Featured Article: Best of the Year—The 13 Best Debuts of 2022


Looking back, it is hard to ignore the impact made by so many debut novelists in distinguishing 2022’s listening scene. We feel the untapped magic and momentum that radiate from debut novels often generate the buzz that defines a year and creates its most electric literary moments. Ranging from brooding, stormy stories to bubbly, heartfelt listens, these fresh voices each uniquely made a big splash in 2022.

All stars
Most relevant  
A beautiful and complex story that separates and weaves back together the threads that build a diverse community.

Beautifully written and performed

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Awesome read ! Started me in reading again . Emotional and thought provoking. Like reading a few books in one !

Awesome read ! High recommendation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Compelling and diverse characters that reflect the ever changing face of Texas. Multiple talented readers.

Amazingly dynamic reading of a great Texas novel!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Love the cast of narrators! The stories weave in and out of each other in such a delightful way.

Compelling Texan Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Garza’s writing is magical. Her descriptions are vivid and accurate, and her voice is unique. Having never been to Texas (save driving through it once), I was unaware of the rich history and culture of Texas.

Reading this book was mind expanding for me. It is a beautiful intertwining of heart and heart, story crossing story, and life affecting life.
You only get a glimpse of each character, but this is an effective strategy for Capturing a culture and event from multiple perspectives. And even though the writing jumps from character to character, the way Garza crafts each persona leaves you feeling for and rooting for them.

Just own trigger warning: the book was heavy on sexual content and language. Multiple f bombs and many references to sexual behavior, often outside of wedlock. This wasn’t encouraged per-say, but it was definitely present and explored widely. Just a warning for those that are bothered by this.

Beautiful Writing and Moving Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.