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.