The Last White Man

This tale of love, grief, and rediscovery at a period of unnerving upheaval comes from the New York Times bestselling author of Exit West.

When a guy wakes up one morning, he's changed. Anders's complexion has darkened over night, and he feels uncomfortable looking at himself in the mirror. He first only tells Oona, an old acquaintance who is now his new girlfriend, about his secret. Reports of such incidents start to appear shortly. People are waking up in new incarnations all around the country, not knowing how their friends, family, or neighbors would receive them. Some see the changes as the long-awaited overthrow of the status quo, which has to be fiercely opposed. In many, such as the parents of Anders and Oona, a deep feeling of loss and discomfort clashes with a deep love. Change takes on a different meaning as Anders and Oona's relationship becomes stronger. It becomes a chance for a kind of rebirth, a chance to meet ourselves face to face and start again.

The Last White Man, written in beautiful and forceful writing by Mohsin Hamid, brilliantly elevates our potential for empathy and the transcendence it may reach over racism, fear, and fury.