The Last of Earth – Deepa Anappara

Description

Set in 1869, The Last of Earth is an epic historical adventure about espionage, exploration and colonial ambition. When Tibet is closed to Europeans, the British Empire trains Indians as covert surveyors who can cross borders others cannot. Balram, a schoolteacher‑spy, agrees to lead an English explorer disguised as a monk into forbidden lands to chart a remote river. Along the perilous journey into Tibet, Balram and fellow traveler Katherine — denied formal recognition in elite geographical circles — battle snow leopards, soldiers, storms and inner doubts. Their grueling expedition becomes a story of survival, friendship, ambition and the human cost of empire.