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The Last Karankawas
For fans of Yaa Gyasi and Cristina Henríquez—a kaleidoscopic, emotionally charged debut about a tight-knit community of Mexican and Filipino American families on the Texas coast.
Welcome to Galveston, Texas. Population 50,241.
Carly Castillo has only ever known Albacore Avenue. Abandoned as a child by her Filipina mother and Mexican-American father, Carly returns each morning from her nursing shift to the house she shares with her grandmother, Magdalena. But when Magdalena slips into dementia, Carly begins to imagine a life elsewhere. Jess Rivera, her boyfriend and all-star shortstop turned seaman, treasures the salty, familiar island air. Years ago, he had a chance to leave Galveston for a bigger city with more possibilities. But he didn’t then, and he sure as hell won't now. Deftly moving through these characters’ lives and those of the individuals who circle them—Mercedes, Jess’s undocumented cousin; Kristin, Magdalena’s daytime nurse; Luz, the wife of Carly’s best friend; Schafer, Jess’s coworker out on the gulf—Garza presents a mosaic depiction of everyday survival in Southern Texas. As word spreads of a storm gathering strength offshore, building into Hurricane Ike, they each must make a difficult decision: board up the windows and hunker down, or flee inland and abandon their hard-won home.
Unflinching, lyrical, and singular, The Last Karankawas is a portrait of America scarcely witnessed, where browning palm trees and oily waters mark the forefront of ecological change. It is a deeply imagined exploration of familial inheritance, human perseverance, and the histories we assign to ourselves, establishing Kimberly Garza as a brilliant new literary voice.
Welcome to Galveston, Texas. Population 50,241.
Carly Castillo has only ever known Albacore Avenue. Abandoned as a child by her Filipina mother and Mexican-American father, Carly returns each morning from her nursing shift to the house she shares with her grandmother, Magdalena. But when Magdalena slips into dementia, Carly begins to imagine a life elsewhere. Jess Rivera, her boyfriend and all-star shortstop turned seaman, treasures the salty, familiar island air. Years ago, he had a chance to leave Galveston for a bigger city with more possibilities. But he didn’t then, and he sure as hell won't now. Deftly moving through these characters’ lives and those of the individuals who circle them—Mercedes, Jess’s undocumented cousin; Kristin, Magdalena’s daytime nurse; Luz, the wife of Carly’s best friend; Schafer, Jess’s coworker out on the gulf—Garza presents a mosaic depiction of everyday survival in Southern Texas. As word spreads of a storm gathering strength offshore, building into Hurricane Ike, they each must make a difficult decision: board up the windows and hunker down, or flee inland and abandon their hard-won home.
Unflinching, lyrical, and singular, The Last Karankawas is a portrait of America scarcely witnessed, where browning palm trees and oily waters mark the forefront of ecological change. It is a deeply imagined exploration of familial inheritance, human perseverance, and the histories we assign to ourselves, establishing Kimberly Garza as a brilliant new literary voice.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2022
90 people are currently reading
10307 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Garza
9 books104 followersKimberly Garza is a native Texan, born in Galveston, raised in Uvalde. She earned a PhD in creative writing and Chicanx literature from the University of North Texas and is a tenure track assistant professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Half Mexican-American, half Filipina-American, Kimberly has had work published in TriQuarterly, Creative Nonfiction, Bennington Review, and others; and has been the recipient of scholarships from Breadloaf and The Michener Center for Writers. The Last Karankawas is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
July 19, 2022
A really good slice-of-life sort of novel about a community of Mexican And Filipino American families in Galveston as Hurricane Ike builds offshore. I was a little overwhelmed with this book at first because there were so many perspectives in it, but then I started reading it as a collection of short stories where every section is told by a separate person and then I totally loved it. Is that the way I was supposed to read it? No idea. But I enjoyed it and I learned from it.
November 8, 2022
"Things can go wrong, and will, and this world is cruel, but we move through it anyway."
There is that sense of movement throughout The Last Karankawas. In addition, there's that sense of people aiming toward identity and relevance. If the world doesn't affirm you, then you must seek it within yourself.
And nowhere else does there seem to be a stronger sense of self-reliance and perseverance than along the coast of Texas. The spotlight beams on Galveston where its people have long suffered poverty, job loss, and the ire of Mother Nature within storms and horrendous hurricanes. But there is also the beauty of the blending of its people and their stories both of loss and of triumph. Texas is my home.
The Last Karankawas will not be for everyone. You will notice that in the varied reviews of readers searching for a certain sweet spot of which they will never find. It is a story of patience and of "becoming" told through the journeys of people from a wide range of backgrounds from countries near and far. And it is the mingling of cultures destined to share time, space, and all the elements of life together.
Kimberly Garza takes on a monumental challenge in this one. She's widened her scope with many characters possessing many tales and backstories. But to know the Texas coast, you must realize how populated it is with those who make up its backbone from the past and to the present. And that backbone reaches to the beginnings of the Karankawas themselves.
Garza chose the central character of Carly Castillo who is a combination of her Mexican and Filipino heritage. She suffers from abandonment. Her father left when she was small and her mother couldn't face life without him. She left as well. But that sturdy backbone was rigid in her grandmother, Magdalena, who picked up the pieces and moved Carly forward.
The Last Karankawas is like the pebble thrown into the pond with concentric circles forming and spreading wide. One individual's encounter leads to a change and a great transformation in the next for the good or for the bad. And we'll experience that in this debut novel. You will love some and then despise others. But isn't that just like life? And yet, growth takes place hardening and forming us into new beings.
Kimberly Garza has great potential as a writer. She knows of what she writes having been born in Galveston, raised in Uvalde, and has been teaching in San Antonio. She's definitely one to keep an eye on with her incredible sense of people.
There is that sense of movement throughout The Last Karankawas. In addition, there's that sense of people aiming toward identity and relevance. If the world doesn't affirm you, then you must seek it within yourself.
And nowhere else does there seem to be a stronger sense of self-reliance and perseverance than along the coast of Texas. The spotlight beams on Galveston where its people have long suffered poverty, job loss, and the ire of Mother Nature within storms and horrendous hurricanes. But there is also the beauty of the blending of its people and their stories both of loss and of triumph. Texas is my home.
The Last Karankawas will not be for everyone. You will notice that in the varied reviews of readers searching for a certain sweet spot of which they will never find. It is a story of patience and of "becoming" told through the journeys of people from a wide range of backgrounds from countries near and far. And it is the mingling of cultures destined to share time, space, and all the elements of life together.
Kimberly Garza takes on a monumental challenge in this one. She's widened her scope with many characters possessing many tales and backstories. But to know the Texas coast, you must realize how populated it is with those who make up its backbone from the past and to the present. And that backbone reaches to the beginnings of the Karankawas themselves.
Garza chose the central character of Carly Castillo who is a combination of her Mexican and Filipino heritage. She suffers from abandonment. Her father left when she was small and her mother couldn't face life without him. She left as well. But that sturdy backbone was rigid in her grandmother, Magdalena, who picked up the pieces and moved Carly forward.
The Last Karankawas is like the pebble thrown into the pond with concentric circles forming and spreading wide. One individual's encounter leads to a change and a great transformation in the next for the good or for the bad. And we'll experience that in this debut novel. You will love some and then despise others. But isn't that just like life? And yet, growth takes place hardening and forming us into new beings.
Kimberly Garza has great potential as a writer. She knows of what she writes having been born in Galveston, raised in Uvalde, and has been teaching in San Antonio. She's definitely one to keep an eye on with her incredible sense of people.
May 1, 2022
Thanks to Holt Publishing for my ARC copy of this great book for a fair review of Dr. Kimberly Garza’s mesmerizing book THE LAST KARANKAWAS on sale in August 2022. (Yes, this author is a PhD with lyrical writing skills—a brilliant woman we’d all love to have coffee with.) Come along on this free vacation (in your mind) to Galveston, TX and know it’s going to be thrilling because Hurricane Ike will be joining the vacation too. This is a great book to take on your summer vacation. Highly recommended.
July 24, 2022
The Last Karankawas is set in Galveston, Texas, and follows a large cast of characters leading up to Hurricane Ike in 2008. It is difficult to describe this book because it is more of a series of interconnected short stories than a novel. However, it does have several themes woven throughout, namely, faith and religion and the meaning of home and community.
The author does a great job of describing the region, both in terms of the natural world and the cultures of the Mexican and Filipino residents. Additionally, she explores other important themes, such as immigration, veterans, elder care, and abuse. The descriptions of Hurricane Ike were very vividly depicted.
This book reminded me a little of The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor and
There There by Tommy Orange in that it is multiple characters that are loosely related through a geographical location. The Last Karankawas is very much character driven as opposed to plot driven. The ending seemed slightly abrupt, as there were so many characters that needed conclusions.
Overall, it is a strong debut, and I am interested to see what Garza writes in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for providing the ARC.
The author does a great job of describing the region, both in terms of the natural world and the cultures of the Mexican and Filipino residents. Additionally, she explores other important themes, such as immigration, veterans, elder care, and abuse. The descriptions of Hurricane Ike were very vividly depicted.
This book reminded me a little of The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor and
There There by Tommy Orange in that it is multiple characters that are loosely related through a geographical location. The Last Karankawas is very much character driven as opposed to plot driven. The ending seemed slightly abrupt, as there were so many characters that needed conclusions.
Overall, it is a strong debut, and I am interested to see what Garza writes in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for providing the ARC.
April 5, 2022
I had a hard time getting into this book. There were too many characters to keep track of. When the hurricane hit, I expected a bigger story. The story takes place in Galveston, Texas, and the surrounding areas, so if readers are from there or like reading about Texas, this might be an interesting book for them.
Thank you to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC.
December 2, 2021
These interconnected stories will satisfy readers of Tommy Orange, Anthony Veasna So and Elizabeth Strout. Carly, a Filipina Mexican American is the eye of the hurricane amongst her friends and family who are the unsung heroes. From the nursing staff, to fisherman, new and settled immigrants, to those who are undocumented, these people are the lifeblood of the city. But, this is truly a love letter to Galveston and specifically, Fish Village Filled with cultural richness and diversity, its people are ones you will remember. And what's clear, is that the love for Galveston runs deep into the soul, and draws its children back, even after the devastation of Hurricane Ike.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
April 20, 2022
I received an ARC of this book from Henry Holt & Co.
I definitely had a love/hate relationship with this one. It's pretty light on the plot, with one main plot point being the buildup to Hurricane Ike, but even that was over in two chapters before moving onto a few chapters of 'clean up'. It felt like it was lacking in suspense or drama or anything interesting, focusing more on the lives of the people than the devastation of the events (for the record none of the 18 mentioned characters die. One runs away. None are displaced. None have homes destroyed beyond water-damage that's typical from flooding. And if they are displaced, it's never mentioned.)
The prose was nice. Not very flamboyant, but is rather solemn, sometimes to its own detriment. On this front though, I feel a bit robbed, honestly. It had a lot of potential to be a highly emotional read, but all emotion seemed to be removed from the story, somehow. People say they're "angry" or "scared" but you just don't feel it. Beyond that, there is a lot of Spanish and Tagalog mixed in but they're generally typical words/phrases that are either translated in the text or used in a context where you don't really NEED to know what it means because it's a filler word/phrase like 'you see?' I liked it but there were some cases when it became overbearing.
Speaking of 18 characters - I counted, but I wouldn't be surprised if I missed some - it really did become too much. I read some reviews before starting this and thought "too many characters? is that possible?" It is. There are 12 characters that have at least one chapter in their POV and 6 characters I like to call 'fringe characters' who don't have a POV but are mentioned in several other POVs. Each chapter is from a new perspective, sometimes not even along the slowly moving linear timeline but rather a recollection, that somehow will tie a character to one of the 3 main characters (Carly, Jess, the grandmother Magdalena) whether it be friendship, relatives, or the guy that had an affair with the grandmother back in the 90's. It does well to show that a community is comprised of so many little connections but with the shifting POVs and lack of plot to bring focus to events and fringe characters, it becomes muddled. I had trouble remembering who was who and had to flip back many times to find the one sentence or two when a character relation was mentioned in a different POV because the current POV made it sound like I should know who the mentioned character is.
The epilogue is written like a book's appendix. I did not enjoy that at all. In fact I almost skipped it because I didn't think it was actually part of the narrative and that it was actually an appendix/glossary. It details some of the characters' closures, but nothing unpredictable or that you couldn't have gleaned from the earlier chapters.
In all a 2.5, rounded down because the more I think about the book, the more disappointed I feel.
I definitely had a love/hate relationship with this one. It's pretty light on the plot, with one main plot point being the buildup to Hurricane Ike, but even that was over in two chapters before moving onto a few chapters of 'clean up'. It felt like it was lacking in suspense or drama or anything interesting, focusing more on the lives of the people than the devastation of the events (for the record none of the 18 mentioned characters die. One runs away. None are displaced. None have homes destroyed beyond water-damage that's typical from flooding. And if they are displaced, it's never mentioned.)
The prose was nice. Not very flamboyant, but is rather solemn, sometimes to its own detriment. On this front though, I feel a bit robbed, honestly. It had a lot of potential to be a highly emotional read, but all emotion seemed to be removed from the story, somehow. People say they're "angry" or "scared" but you just don't feel it. Beyond that, there is a lot of Spanish and Tagalog mixed in but they're generally typical words/phrases that are either translated in the text or used in a context where you don't really NEED to know what it means because it's a filler word/phrase like 'you see?' I liked it but there were some cases when it became overbearing.
Speaking of 18 characters - I counted, but I wouldn't be surprised if I missed some - it really did become too much. I read some reviews before starting this and thought "too many characters? is that possible?" It is. There are 12 characters that have at least one chapter in their POV and 6 characters I like to call 'fringe characters' who don't have a POV but are mentioned in several other POVs. Each chapter is from a new perspective, sometimes not even along the slowly moving linear timeline but rather a recollection, that somehow will tie a character to one of the 3 main characters (Carly, Jess, the grandmother Magdalena) whether it be friendship, relatives, or the guy that had an affair with the grandmother back in the 90's. It does well to show that a community is comprised of so many little connections but with the shifting POVs and lack of plot to bring focus to events and fringe characters, it becomes muddled. I had trouble remembering who was who and had to flip back many times to find the one sentence or two when a character relation was mentioned in a different POV because the current POV made it sound like I should know who the mentioned character is.
The epilogue is written like a book's appendix. I did not enjoy that at all. In fact I almost skipped it because I didn't think it was actually part of the narrative and that it was actually an appendix/glossary. It details some of the characters' closures, but nothing unpredictable or that you couldn't have gleaned from the earlier chapters.
In all a 2.5, rounded down because the more I think about the book, the more disappointed I feel.
July 30, 2022
Thanks to Henry Holt and Co. for this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book of interconnected short stories was a satisfying read. In the Acknowledgements, Garza pays tribute to the part of Texas that she loves and where the book is set. It includes Uvalde, now a city better known for its recent tragedy.
Written before the mass killings at a school in Uvalde, this book serves as a love letter to the region. The characters are very much shaped by the setting...the locality is almost another character here.
The author is clear-eyed and confident in her storycrafting. She wields a sharp pen to render well-rounded, heartfelt characters. They appear and some re-appear as the book progresses and encounters Hurricane Ike (2008). The characters are mainly Mexican and Filipino; and each character reflects a facet of life, of survival. There is a grittiness in their struggles, quirks, and imperfections that ring true. In reading these stories, I almost felt as if I were eavesdropping.
I'll add that each story felt complete, ending with a certain resolution or a solid tone. Together, the stories depict a place and a time with affecting and intimate richness.
I readily recommend this title and I will definitely read more from Garza.
Two quotes:
We did not expect that when the next loss came--her man--it would shift again, reshape itself into a grief for the old ways, her old lives in which she belonged to someone. A mother. A man. A country. When she was a child of something tangible in the world. Years from now, it will seem so obvious to use that she was never meant to be a mother or an immigrant.
... We think: We are not ready for this, to be the elders, the teachers, the mothers. We are still daughters and sisters, girlfriends and wives. We have partners who love us, yes? Parents with years yet to pass their words, their stories, down to us. We can still be the girls who dance tinikling, yes, yes. we will never be old, or we already are.
This book of interconnected short stories was a satisfying read. In the Acknowledgements, Garza pays tribute to the part of Texas that she loves and where the book is set. It includes Uvalde, now a city better known for its recent tragedy.
Written before the mass killings at a school in Uvalde, this book serves as a love letter to the region. The characters are very much shaped by the setting...the locality is almost another character here.
The author is clear-eyed and confident in her storycrafting. She wields a sharp pen to render well-rounded, heartfelt characters. They appear and some re-appear as the book progresses and encounters Hurricane Ike (2008). The characters are mainly Mexican and Filipino; and each character reflects a facet of life, of survival. There is a grittiness in their struggles, quirks, and imperfections that ring true. In reading these stories, I almost felt as if I were eavesdropping.
I'll add that each story felt complete, ending with a certain resolution or a solid tone. Together, the stories depict a place and a time with affecting and intimate richness.
I readily recommend this title and I will definitely read more from Garza.
Two quotes:
We did not expect that when the next loss came--her man--it would shift again, reshape itself into a grief for the old ways, her old lives in which she belonged to someone. A mother. A man. A country. When she was a child of something tangible in the world. Years from now, it will seem so obvious to use that she was never meant to be a mother or an immigrant.
... We think: We are not ready for this, to be the elders, the teachers, the mothers. We are still daughters and sisters, girlfriends and wives. We have partners who love us, yes? Parents with years yet to pass their words, their stories, down to us. We can still be the girls who dance tinikling, yes, yes. we will never be old, or we already are.
June 9, 2022
Have you ever visited Galveston Texas? I was struck by the poverty when I visited. There was a gloomy similarity to the fading industrial college town I had lived and studied in. This first hand knowledge made me want to grab this book up and I am so glad that I did!
The dual themes of family and belonging threads together a variety of narrative voices of a group of people of both Mexican and Filipino descent living in Galveston. Personally, my favorite books span across a time (generations) and include a variety of opinions and points of view that allow the read to connect the dots on some of the smaller stories that are part of the plot. In Karankawas, we meet multiple people and their offspring and piece together a cross stitch of of life in a small seaside town. The town of Uvalde is mentioned more than a few times which is erie at best, but as a cultural touchpoint, it brings an additional level of sadness to these stories.
Garza however, leave us with hope and a touching novel of families trying to stay afloat in modern America. If you like generational tales, multiple points of view and narrators, and love a good literary tale, then The Last Karankawas is for you! #Netgalley #TheLastKarankawas #Henryholt
The dual themes of family and belonging threads together a variety of narrative voices of a group of people of both Mexican and Filipino descent living in Galveston. Personally, my favorite books span across a time (generations) and include a variety of opinions and points of view that allow the read to connect the dots on some of the smaller stories that are part of the plot. In Karankawas, we meet multiple people and their offspring and piece together a cross stitch of of life in a small seaside town. The town of Uvalde is mentioned more than a few times which is erie at best, but as a cultural touchpoint, it brings an additional level of sadness to these stories.
Garza however, leave us with hope and a touching novel of families trying to stay afloat in modern America. If you like generational tales, multiple points of view and narrators, and love a good literary tale, then The Last Karankawas is for you! #Netgalley #TheLastKarankawas #Henryholt
August 22, 2022
Compelling, absorbing, and complex!
The Last Karankawas is an intriguing, tender tale that sweeps you away to Galveston, Texas during 2008 as the city braces for Hurricane Ike and immerses you into the joy, heartbreak, struggles, and lives of multiple generations of people from the Filipino and Mexican communities, especially one young girl, Carly Castillo, who yearns to live anywhere else, even though her grandmother who raised her believes they are descendants of the Karankawa Indigenous tribe and thus naturally have strong ties to the land they inhabit.
The prose is expressive and smooth. The characters are multilayered, conflicted, and kind. And the plot told from multiple POVs is an affecting tale about life, loss, love, community, regrets, acceptance, forgiveness, familial drama, and friendship.
Overall, The Last Karankawas is a touching, astute, lovely debut by Garza that does a wonderful job of delving into all the messy emotional and psychological entanglements that exist between family members, friends, our histories and the places we call home.
Thank you to Henry Holt and Company for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Karankawas is an intriguing, tender tale that sweeps you away to Galveston, Texas during 2008 as the city braces for Hurricane Ike and immerses you into the joy, heartbreak, struggles, and lives of multiple generations of people from the Filipino and Mexican communities, especially one young girl, Carly Castillo, who yearns to live anywhere else, even though her grandmother who raised her believes they are descendants of the Karankawa Indigenous tribe and thus naturally have strong ties to the land they inhabit.
The prose is expressive and smooth. The characters are multilayered, conflicted, and kind. And the plot told from multiple POVs is an affecting tale about life, loss, love, community, regrets, acceptance, forgiveness, familial drama, and friendship.
Overall, The Last Karankawas is a touching, astute, lovely debut by Garza that does a wonderful job of delving into all the messy emotional and psychological entanglements that exist between family members, friends, our histories and the places we call home.
Thank you to Henry Holt and Company for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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April 26, 2023I don’t have a rating for this book yet, but that’s a good thing in this case. I really enjoyed this, a lot. Very much in the vein of literature I love, where community/peoples/history are central, and clearly deeper than the novel can actually tell you. Like the fiction I love from Wendell Berry, or Willa Cather - but for Galveston & Gulf Coast TX, especially the Mexican, Filipino, and Karankawa-Kadla peoples there.
Will absolutely re-read, maybe even assign in a future class.
Will absolutely re-read, maybe even assign in a future class.
July 31, 2022
The Last Karankawas by Kimberly Garza is a love letter to Texas. Readers who have family or were born and live in Galveston will relate to this the most.
I especially loved how the author mixed Filipino and Mexican communities together and gave voice to both communities as equally as she could. I had a little trouble keeping up at first because I didn't realize this book would follow more than one character, but in the end, I could see that there was no other way to write this book than to make it a book about a community.
My one tiny gripe would be that I wished the author dug a little deeper into her main character's Filipino roots as well. But since learning of the history of the actual Karankawas I understand why she focused on the Texan side. Other than that, reading about Carly and her grandmother reminded me of how I grew up with my grandmothers and mix of Spanish and Tagalog in my own home.
Definitely a great read! I can't wait to read more from Kimberly.
I received this book as an ARC of this from Henry Holt & Co. Thank you for sending me this great read.
I especially loved how the author mixed Filipino and Mexican communities together and gave voice to both communities as equally as she could. I had a little trouble keeping up at first because I didn't realize this book would follow more than one character, but in the end, I could see that there was no other way to write this book than to make it a book about a community.
My one tiny gripe would be that I wished the author dug a little deeper into her main character's Filipino roots as well. But since learning of the history of the actual Karankawas I understand why she focused on the Texan side. Other than that, reading about Carly and her grandmother reminded me of how I grew up with my grandmothers and mix of Spanish and Tagalog in my own home.
Definitely a great read! I can't wait to read more from Kimberly.
I received this book as an ARC of this from Henry Holt & Co. Thank you for sending me this great read.
August 18, 2022
The Last Karankawas is a book that’s somewhere between a collection of short stories and a novel that’s set in Galveston, Texas. The 12 characters whose perspective we see are all somehow related to Carly, whose family is both Mexican and Filipina-American. We see her (and various other characters) from her childhood through her young adult years. There’s a pull in many of the stories between the longing to leave and find something new of their own, and the desire to stay put with family, friends and familiarity.
The story is beautifully written if a bit on the slower side. It’s the type of book I appreciate more if I read just a couple stories a day. Many of them look at simple moments that play into the larger theme of movement, such as the defiance as a teenager of borrowing a car without permission, the struggle to return to life as a citizen after several army tours, or a girlfriend deciding to leave her boyfriend.
None of the characters are simple, similar to their love for the island. Garza creates an amazing sense of place in the novel.
In the end, though, I wish I liked this book more than I did. The writing was so beautiful and it's rich in symbolism and themes. And the cover is gorgeous. But I could put the book down and didn't feel much of a draw to pick it up again. The characters were a little too scattered to keep me invested and there were sections I just skimmed through.
Thank you Henry Holt for my copy of the book!
The story is beautifully written if a bit on the slower side. It’s the type of book I appreciate more if I read just a couple stories a day. Many of them look at simple moments that play into the larger theme of movement, such as the defiance as a teenager of borrowing a car without permission, the struggle to return to life as a citizen after several army tours, or a girlfriend deciding to leave her boyfriend.
None of the characters are simple, similar to their love for the island. Garza creates an amazing sense of place in the novel.
In the end, though, I wish I liked this book more than I did. The writing was so beautiful and it's rich in symbolism and themes. And the cover is gorgeous. But I could put the book down and didn't feel much of a draw to pick it up again. The characters were a little too scattered to keep me invested and there were sections I just skimmed through.
Thank you Henry Holt for my copy of the book!
May 17, 2022
I'm a little disappointed at the 2 and 3 star ratings because I don't think people knew that they should read it as a set of short stories instead of a novel. It's a set of short stories that are related to each other, and no one is the main character. And frankly, it is frustrating no one understood the assignment! I loved this book, some stories and characters more than others. I loved this probably because I am Texan, and spent 4 years living in Galveston for college. I get the island. I loved how the author entwined scenes from the Hill Country and RGV into the lives of the Galveston characters. I could imagine the chill of the Frio as it passes through Concan, the traffic on I-45 through the Bay Area and League City, the waters rising into the Fish Village homes---because I know how Galveston floods during a heavy rainstorm.
To soothe the 2/3 star reviewers, the publisher could amend the book include a family/friend tree of sorts at the beginning or end of the book.
*I received an ARC view NetGalley in exchange for my review*
To soothe the 2/3 star reviewers, the publisher could amend the book include a family/friend tree of sorts at the beginning or end of the book.
*I received an ARC view NetGalley in exchange for my review*
August 4, 2022
Thank you so much Henry Holt for the #gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Down in Galveston, it’s warm and muggy, the brownish-green waters of the Gulf casting a blanket over the coastal city. It’s where you’ll find a melting pot of people like Carly Castillo and her grandmother Magdalena, who’s battling dementia. You’ll hear from Kristin, Luz, Ofelia, baseball-star-turned-seaman Jess Rivera, his cousin, Mercedes, and many other characters that call the Texas town home. While some of them ache with a strong, spiritual tether to the land, others long to flee the monotony of daily survival and never look back. Some succeed, others don’t, and tensions really start to rise when Hurricane Ike makes landfall and each member of the community is faced with a tough choice.
Rather than taking a traditional novel form, The Last Karankawas is more a cluster of short stories with a common thread tying all of the characters together. I was initially intimated by the amount of characters, but I ended up having no issues following along because each character has their own distinct voice and personality.
I learned so much from this book, whether it was about Galveston itself, or the Mexican and Filipino cultures of the characters. I was constantly putting the book down to Google landmarks or phrases and found myself totally immersed in the world. (Years of high school and college Spanish helped too!) It really feels like a lover letter to Texas and family ties. All of these qualities are thanks to Kimberly Garza’s beautifully poetic, character-driven writing. (The author bio at the end of the book says she’s a creative writing professor—I’d love to take her class!)
I would’ve liked for the ending to have packed more of a punch like the rest of the book, but overall this is an incredible debut and I can’t wait to read more from Garza in the future.
Down in Galveston, it’s warm and muggy, the brownish-green waters of the Gulf casting a blanket over the coastal city. It’s where you’ll find a melting pot of people like Carly Castillo and her grandmother Magdalena, who’s battling dementia. You’ll hear from Kristin, Luz, Ofelia, baseball-star-turned-seaman Jess Rivera, his cousin, Mercedes, and many other characters that call the Texas town home. While some of them ache with a strong, spiritual tether to the land, others long to flee the monotony of daily survival and never look back. Some succeed, others don’t, and tensions really start to rise when Hurricane Ike makes landfall and each member of the community is faced with a tough choice.
Rather than taking a traditional novel form, The Last Karankawas is more a cluster of short stories with a common thread tying all of the characters together. I was initially intimated by the amount of characters, but I ended up having no issues following along because each character has their own distinct voice and personality.
I learned so much from this book, whether it was about Galveston itself, or the Mexican and Filipino cultures of the characters. I was constantly putting the book down to Google landmarks or phrases and found myself totally immersed in the world. (Years of high school and college Spanish helped too!) It really feels like a lover letter to Texas and family ties. All of these qualities are thanks to Kimberly Garza’s beautifully poetic, character-driven writing. (The author bio at the end of the book says she’s a creative writing professor—I’d love to take her class!)
I would’ve liked for the ending to have packed more of a punch like the rest of the book, but overall this is an incredible debut and I can’t wait to read more from Garza in the future.
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August 5, 2022THE LAST KARANKAWAS is an intriguing literary fiction. The book reads like a collection of short stories with most chapters being about different characters. They are not necessarily interconnected, taking place in the same location but not about a consistent story. Carly's perspective is the one that we see the most with a few chapters from her point-of-view.
The story is certainly character-driven with poetic language in each story. The people definitely come to life through each of their stories. I was not expecting this type of read, and I was a little disappointed not to get the in-depth knowledge of a few characters and follow them as it seemed in the synopsis.
However, it is an interesting story of immigration, community, prejudice, poverty, and depression, amongst other things. While it was not what I expected, the writing is compelling and really pulls the reader into the lives of the various people they meet along the way. I would recommend for people who enjoy short stories and lyrical prose.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
The story is certainly character-driven with poetic language in each story. The people definitely come to life through each of their stories. I was not expecting this type of read, and I was a little disappointed not to get the in-depth knowledge of a few characters and follow them as it seemed in the synopsis.
However, it is an interesting story of immigration, community, prejudice, poverty, and depression, amongst other things. While it was not what I expected, the writing is compelling and really pulls the reader into the lives of the various people they meet along the way. I would recommend for people who enjoy short stories and lyrical prose.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
March 19, 2023
it did not give what it was supposed to give.
i was not a fan of the linked structure of the stories bc it made me feel detached from the characters and their struggles. i was not able to connect with them with all the jumping around POVs and it also made the novel drag. i appreciated the incorporation of Filipino culture and traditions, especially the Taglish on page, but other than that it really did not have much of anything going on.
i was not a fan of the linked structure of the stories bc it made me feel detached from the characters and their struggles. i was not able to connect with them with all the jumping around POVs and it also made the novel drag. i appreciated the incorporation of Filipino culture and traditions, especially the Taglish on page, but other than that it really did not have much of anything going on.
July 25, 2024
This is a book about loss, abandonment, trauma, immigration, restlessness, mental illness, settling, and baseball. But most importantly it's an ode to Galveston, and to a lesser extent, the Texas Hill Country.
I liked the whole "ensemble cast" sort of thing it has going on. I also liked the glossary at the end instead of a traditional epilogue. If a tightly-structured plot is super important to you, you might not enjoy this very much. Like Galveston itself, it might be a little off-putting at first, but it eventually grows on you.
I liked the whole "ensemble cast" sort of thing it has going on. I also liked the glossary at the end instead of a traditional epilogue. If a tightly-structured plot is super important to you, you might not enjoy this very much. Like Galveston itself, it might be a little off-putting at first, but it eventually grows on you.
November 5, 2022
This book was not what I was expecting and it's definitely not for everyone.
It's a series of short stories about different people loosely tied to one another centering around Hurricane Ike in Galveston.
It's a series of short stories about different people loosely tied to one another centering around Hurricane Ike in Galveston.
May 15, 2023
The book tells generational stories of immigrant families in Texas. It’s set in several small towns but focuses primarily on Galveston. Timeline ranges from the 1900 hurricane to Hurricane Ike.
August 26, 2022
If I could, I would give this book six stars. More a series of interlocking stories than a novel as it labels itself, The Last Karankawas develops a strong sense of place--Galveston and Texas hill country--and voice as the characters search for purpose and the meaning of relationships. The author treats her many characters with respect and warmth.
February 17, 2022
eARC provided by Netgalley in exhange for an honest review.
The Last Karankawas is a novel that reads like a short story collection, much to its detriment. Books following a big cast of characters are some of my favorites—Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing comes to mind—but this is exactly where Garza fails: too many characters are introduced at often odd times, making for a harrowing read and pivoting the emotional scenes into straight dullness as soon as the switch to a new character happens. I was gripped by the first chapter's greatness, in the veins of Brit Bennett's The Mothers, which I love, but was struck by the sudden change in the writing's quality.
The Last Karankawas is a novel that reads like a short story collection, much to its detriment. Books following a big cast of characters are some of my favorites—Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing comes to mind—but this is exactly where Garza fails: too many characters are introduced at often odd times, making for a harrowing read and pivoting the emotional scenes into straight dullness as soon as the switch to a new character happens. I was gripped by the first chapter's greatness, in the veins of Brit Bennett's The Mothers, which I love, but was struck by the sudden change in the writing's quality.
October 26, 2022
The Last Karankawas by Kimberly Garza is a beautiful novel of literary fiction. The book description from the publisher describes it best: “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. 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.”
This debut novel examines the ties between the Filipino and Mexican communities of Galveston, Texas as the imminent arrival of Hurricane Ike in 2008 looms large. Carly dreams of a better life far away from the stranglehold of Galveston, the only place she’s ever known, even though that stranglehold feels sometimes like a loving embrace. Her grandmother Magdalena proudly claims to be a descendent of the great Karankawa tribe, but her claims are dubious at best even though her influence over Carly is profound. The chorus of Filipino church members who scrutinize Carly casts a large net, one that is difficult for her to break free from. Garza weaves an exquisite tapestry of the communities of Galveston, one made of brightly colored threads of the different cultures, but when examined as a whole is beautifully rendered.
As Magdalena states of her love of Galveston about halfway through the novel, “To love this place is to love its bad parts también. The brown water, the heat, the zancudos. The storms.”
It’s clear that Garza loves Galveston too—the good and the bad. An excellent debut novel!
I really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it. I would give this book 5 stars.
This debut novel examines the ties between the Filipino and Mexican communities of Galveston, Texas as the imminent arrival of Hurricane Ike in 2008 looms large. Carly dreams of a better life far away from the stranglehold of Galveston, the only place she’s ever known, even though that stranglehold feels sometimes like a loving embrace. Her grandmother Magdalena proudly claims to be a descendent of the great Karankawa tribe, but her claims are dubious at best even though her influence over Carly is profound. The chorus of Filipino church members who scrutinize Carly casts a large net, one that is difficult for her to break free from. Garza weaves an exquisite tapestry of the communities of Galveston, one made of brightly colored threads of the different cultures, but when examined as a whole is beautifully rendered.
As Magdalena states of her love of Galveston about halfway through the novel, “To love this place is to love its bad parts también. The brown water, the heat, the zancudos. The storms.”
It’s clear that Garza loves Galveston too—the good and the bad. An excellent debut novel!
I really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it. I would give this book 5 stars.
March 10, 2024
One of the best Texas books I’ve ever read. Simply tremendous.
August 23, 2022
Do you ever have the experience of seeing a book, reading the description, and knowing it will be one of your favorite books of the year? This is that book for me! The last time I felt it this strongly was probably with Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis.
Many passages and moments in this book took my breath away and I’ll continue to think about it for years ahead. After finishing it, I immediately wanted to read it again (something I never do since I’m in numerous book clubs and have an overwhelming TBR).
The author does a fantastic job with the various voices, bringing the setting alive as its own character, and pulls it all together beautifully. I can't recommend this book enough - check it out!
Many passages and moments in this book took my breath away and I’ll continue to think about it for years ahead. After finishing it, I immediately wanted to read it again (something I never do since I’m in numerous book clubs and have an overwhelming TBR).
The author does a fantastic job with the various voices, bringing the setting alive as its own character, and pulls it all together beautifully. I can't recommend this book enough - check it out!
January 25, 2022
The Last Karankawas is a good book that talks about the experience of the South of the United States focusing on characters and stories about people of color who took a long time to conquer their home and a place that they felt minimally safe, something that rarely happens in the world of stories outside of the United States. idealism of white people in a high-profile country. I loved the cultural diversity although the real content within this fiction is far from what I experience properly but similar in some ways being a country person and latina. 3,5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eArc
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eArc
February 7, 2022
This novel is a collection of interrelated stories from the different points of view of many people connected to Galveston, Texas. Each character expands the reader's understanding of the diverse population that makes up the community of the island, an island that goes about its business under the threat of hurricanes. At the same time, the stories hone in on the human condition--why we stay, why we leave, what drives us to want something more or different. There is a restlessness, a desire for a bigger life among many of the characters that is completely relatable, especially after a couple of years of pandemic. Insightful and beautifully written.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
December 18, 2022
"They made their way from one craggy pile of Texas sand to another, season by season, chasing the food sources and the weather."
The Karankawas had been built for moving.
At an author event in mid-November at @thetwigbookshop, Kimberly Garza signed my copy of The Last Karankawas “… with much joy & gratitude – San Antonio gente forever!
The next evening, I showed it to my mother who asked “What does gente mean?” Even with my limited language skills, immediately I knew it meant “people.”
In this moving account that wondrously weaves narratives of a chorus of voices compelled by Galveston’s Hurricane Ike in 2008, Garza not only employs those voices of 2008, but she also inhabits the novel with the memory of a people, along with fascinating historical facts (the story of Isaac Cline is mind-blowing).
The result is a debut; “itself a swirling tempest of a novel.”
It is also one considerate of the “histories we assign to ourselves.”
It is a novel that stays with you.
Carly wondered if this was how her grandmother saw their past: as something shaped from delusion.
"Between the Karankawas and her wayward mother, wasn’t she built for moving, too?"
To say The Last Karankawas focuses on part Mexican, part Filipino Carly Castillo, would be right and wrong.
She is more than a bit player in the tempest but is also most indicative of the novel’s overall theme:
Should I stay or should I go?
A storm is coming but Garza breaks it into smaller, individual storms, little slices of life without end that keep moving and keep you thinking about their implications in a larger context.
Storms are a part of the world, this place.
You love it here, don’t you.
Yes.
So did they, and we must, too.
To love this place is to love its bad parts tambien.
The brown water, the heat, the zancudos.
Galveston is but a microcosm of Garza’s “emotional palette.” The Last Karankawa, a love letter. But Garza however, speaks to all of America, la isla de mi vida, too. Our people.
“Her reality checks, her questioning of the myths, never sit right with him.”
“Who are they? And us?”
“A place like this can never be so simple.”
“Look, look. A storm is coming.”
“A storm is here.”
“If I tell you we come from fighters, es verdad.”
“Because we say it is.”
The Karankawas had been built for moving.
At an author event in mid-November at @thetwigbookshop, Kimberly Garza signed my copy of The Last Karankawas “… with much joy & gratitude – San Antonio gente forever!
The next evening, I showed it to my mother who asked “What does gente mean?” Even with my limited language skills, immediately I knew it meant “people.”
In this moving account that wondrously weaves narratives of a chorus of voices compelled by Galveston’s Hurricane Ike in 2008, Garza not only employs those voices of 2008, but she also inhabits the novel with the memory of a people, along with fascinating historical facts (the story of Isaac Cline is mind-blowing).
The result is a debut; “itself a swirling tempest of a novel.”
It is also one considerate of the “histories we assign to ourselves.”
It is a novel that stays with you.
Carly wondered if this was how her grandmother saw their past: as something shaped from delusion.
"Between the Karankawas and her wayward mother, wasn’t she built for moving, too?"
To say The Last Karankawas focuses on part Mexican, part Filipino Carly Castillo, would be right and wrong.
She is more than a bit player in the tempest but is also most indicative of the novel’s overall theme:
Should I stay or should I go?
A storm is coming but Garza breaks it into smaller, individual storms, little slices of life without end that keep moving and keep you thinking about their implications in a larger context.
Storms are a part of the world, this place.
You love it here, don’t you.
Yes.
So did they, and we must, too.
To love this place is to love its bad parts tambien.
The brown water, the heat, the zancudos.
Galveston is but a microcosm of Garza’s “emotional palette.” The Last Karankawa, a love letter. But Garza however, speaks to all of America, la isla de mi vida, too. Our people.
“Her reality checks, her questioning of the myths, never sit right with him.”
“Who are they? And us?”
“A place like this can never be so simple.”
“Look, look. A storm is coming.”
“A storm is here.”
“If I tell you we come from fighters, es verdad.”
“Because we say it is.”
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