The Last White Man: A Novel

Oona’s mother is unwilling to look at Oona’s face, focusing her eyes instead on her daughter’s jeans and shoes. Oona says that she is sorry. Her mother suggests they have breakfast. To Oona, this is the best thing her mother could have said. However, her mother is unable to stomach food, and becomes ill, retiring to her bedroom. Oona notices her reflection in the spoon. After she washes the dishes, she sees that her hands look chalky. When she rubs lotion on them, the chalkiness fades away. She visits Anders and apologizes. He thinks it is because his father is dying, but she is apologizing for her mother’s behavior. Most people have transitioned by now, and people have cleaned up most of the damage from the riots. Anders goes to the gym and finds that his boss has transitioned. He again wonders if those who had always been people of color could identify those who have recently changed, as he and Oona notice no difference. The narrator describes this inability as a kind of blindness, yet the other senses flourish.