The Last Mapmaker

The Last Mapmaker (2022) is a middle grade fantasy adventure novel written by Christina Soontornvat. Through folklore, monomyth archetypes, and a cast of characters who are not quite what they seem to be, the novel explores the impacts of imperialism, social inequality, and self-deception. The Last Mapmaker is one of Soontornvat’s three Newbery Honor Books. It was also named a New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, and an AudioFile Best Audiobook of the Year, among other literary honors.

This guide uses the e-book edition of the text published in 2022 by Candlewick Press. (Pagination may differ from print editions.)

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain descriptions of social inequality, parental negligence, and the impacts of colonialism and imperialist exploitation.

Plot Summary

The Last Mapmaker tells the story of Sai Arawan, a 12-year-old girl in the Thai-inspired fantasy kingdom of Mangkon. She works as an assistant for Paiyoon Wongyai, the kingdom’s Master Mapmaker. Although she pretends to come from a respectable family of means, Sai actually lives in poverty with her father, Mud, who makes a dubious living as a con artist and has an alcohol addiction.