THE ISLAND OF LAST THINGS
A SOARING, PROPULSIVE, AND UNFORGETTABLE novel about two zookeepers at the last zoo in the world
“Sometimes a new author will sidle up and whisper in your ear, and sometimes she’ll grab you by the neck. Emma Sloley is in the latter camp.” ―REBECCA MAKKAI
Camille has always preferred animals to people. The wild has nearly disappeared, but as a zookeeper at the last zoo in the world, on Alcatraz Island, she spends her days caring for playful chimpanzees, gentle tree frogs, and a restless jaguar. Outside, resistance groups and brutal cartels fight to shape the world’s future,
A SOARING, PROPULSIVE, AND UNFORGETTABLE novel about two zookeepers at the last zoo in the world
“Sometimes a new author will sidle up and whisper in your ear, and sometimes she’ll grab you by the neck. Emma Sloley is in the latter camp.” ―REBECCA MAKKAI
Camille has always preferred animals to people. The wild has nearly disappeared, but as a zookeeper at the last zoo in the world, on Alcatraz Island, she spends her days caring for playful chimpanzees, gentle tree frogs, and a restless jaguar. Outside, resistance groups and brutal cartels fight to shape the world’s future, but Camille is safe within her routines. That is, until a new zookeeper, Sailor, arrives from Paris.
From their first meeting, Camille is drawn to Sailor, who seems to see something in Camille that no one has before. They bond over their shared passions and dream up ways to improve their lives. When Sailor whispers the story of an idyllic, secret sanctuary where wild animals roam free, Camille begins to imagine a new kind of life with Sailor by her side.
Sailor knows all too well the dangers beyond Alcatraz, but she increasingly chafes at the zoo’s rigid rules. She hatches a reckless plan to smuggle one of the most prized animals off the island to freedom, and invites Camille to join her. The consequences if they fail would be catastrophic, and Sailor’s contacts at the sanctuary go dark just as the threats from the cartels grow more extreme. Camille must decide if she’s ready to risk everything for the promise of a better world.
Propulsive and fiercely hopeful, with a heart-stopping final twist, The Island of Last Things is an elegy for a disappearing world and a gorgeous vision for the future.
- Flatiron Books
- Hardcover
- August 2025
- 272 Pages
- 9781250329240
Buy the Book
$28.99
About Emma Sloley
Emma Sloley is a two-time MacDowell fellow and Bread Loaf scholar. She is the author of the novels The Island of Last Things and Disaster’s Children, and her work has been published in Literary Hub, Catapult, Joyland, and many others.
Praise
Praise for The Island of Last Things:
A Most Anticipated Book (Vulture)
“Absorbing, daring, and ultimately hopeful, The Island of Last Things is at once a love letter to the natural world and a warning of what could become of us all if we let it wither.” —Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, author of What We Fed To The Manticore
Praise for Emma Sloley:
“Sometimes a new author will sidle up and whisper in your ear, and sometimes she’ll grab you by the neck. Emma Sloley is in the latter camp.” ―Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Believers
“Emma Sloley is a terrific new talent.” ―Alice Elliott Dark, national bestselling author of Fellowship Point
“Emma Sloley writes with urgency, emotional clarity, and a keen eye for detail.” ―Hillary Jordan, national bestselling author of Mudbound
Discussion Questions
Welcome to the Reading Group Guide for The Island of Last Things.
Please note: In order to provide reading groups with the most informed and thought-provoking questions possible, it is sometimes necessary to reveal important aspects of the plot of the stories, as well as the endings. If you have not finished reading The Island of Last Things, we respectfully suggest that you wait before reviewing this guide.
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Discuss the novel’s title. What do you think the “last things” are in this story, and what does that mean to you?
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Early on in the novel, Camille and Sailor discuss the purpose of the zoo: Sailor calls it “the animal kingdom’s last stand,” while Camille defends the zoo, saying they are “giving the animals a future.” Why do you think each character has their particular viewpoint? Do you agree with one of them more? If so, why?
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Describe Camille and Sailor’s relationship. How are the two similar, and how are they different? Why do you think Camille was so immediately drawn to Sailor?
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When guests arrive to take tours at the Alcatraz Zoo, they are dressed in particular costumes such as “pith helmets with multipocketed khaki vests” and “leopard-print trousers with binoculars.” Why do you think the zoo has this dress code? What kind of commentary is the novel making about the performance of animal spectating?
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During a discussion about how all of the zookeepers at Alcatraz are apathetic about their jobs, Sailor remarks: “[it’s] that doomer mentality. It’s a virus that takes hold when a generation feels like there’s no future. They retreat into their games and psychedelics and whatever else takes their mind off it. A kind of mass dissociation.” What do you think she means? Why do you think Sailor and Camille are different?
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What do you think the world outside the zoo is like? Do you think people like Sailor and Camille came to Alcatraz to escape the outside world, because they believe in the work, or both?
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Sailor educates Camille on the difference between anthropomorphism, ascribing human emotions or characteristics to an animal, and umwelt, the idea that each animal experiences the world in its own unique way that humans might not be able to fully comprehend. Why do you think this differentiation is important in the context of the novel?
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Discuss the relationship between Joseph and Sailor and how it evolves over the course of the novel. In what ways are they more similar than you might initially think?
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The characters in the book often disagree about the morality of animal captivity. However, all of them are also being held captive at Alcatraz—none of them seem to ever leave the zoo, and they’re alienated from their lives before becoming zookeepers. Do you think the humans at Alcatraz have more freedom and mobility than the animals? Why or why not?
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During one conversation, Sailor tells Camille: “promise me you’ll start imagining a better world than this one.” What role might imagination have in liberation and freedom? Do you think the sanctuary is real? Why or why not?
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Discuss the use of flashbacks in the book. How do they deepen our understanding of the characters, especially Sailor?
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What did you think of the ending of the book? Do Camille’s viewpoints and morals change from the beginning of the story to the end? What do you think the future holds for her?
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What did you think of Sailor’s final decision? Did that act read as a moment of sacrifice or hopelessness to you?
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Do you think this is a dystopian novel? In what ways does the universe in the book echo our contemporary world, and in what ways does it feel different?