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Whyteface
Four years ago, a young man named Furo Wariboko woke up one morning in Lagos to find that he had transformed into a white man. Except for his ass. Now well established with a good job, going by Frank Whyte and living in a nicely appointed house in the capital city of Abuja, he is ready to set off on a real vacation—his first trip outside Nigeria.
As Frank travels to Amsterdam, Oslo, and Milan, he finds himself, for the first time in years . . . blending in. His skin is not in the least remarkable. In Amsterdam he befriends his well-meaning but occasionally misguided Airbnb host. There he also meets a Nigerian expat living in America whom he is both delighted to see but who vexes him for reasons he can’t initially identify. In Oslo, he intervenes when a charismatic Kenyan writer is the victim of a racist taxi driver. In Milan he comes upon a woman who might be a distant relative who has survived a treacherous journey of migration. He quickly realizes that he feels most Nigerian when he is outside of Nigeria, and he begins to wonder what it might take to be treated, simply, as human.
Hilarious, sharp-witted, and moving, each in turn and often all at once, A. Igoni Barrett’s Whyteface confronts the absurdities of Europe and the West’s ideas about the global south—both its xenophobic fear as well as its supposedly beneficent charity. It is a heady and absorbing new novel by the writer Teju Cole called “a major talent.”
As Frank travels to Amsterdam, Oslo, and Milan, he finds himself, for the first time in years . . . blending in. His skin is not in the least remarkable. In Amsterdam he befriends his well-meaning but occasionally misguided Airbnb host. There he also meets a Nigerian expat living in America whom he is both delighted to see but who vexes him for reasons he can’t initially identify. In Oslo, he intervenes when a charismatic Kenyan writer is the victim of a racist taxi driver. In Milan he comes upon a woman who might be a distant relative who has survived a treacherous journey of migration. He quickly realizes that he feels most Nigerian when he is outside of Nigeria, and he begins to wonder what it might take to be treated, simply, as human.
Hilarious, sharp-witted, and moving, each in turn and often all at once, A. Igoni Barrett’s Whyteface confronts the absurdities of Europe and the West’s ideas about the global south—both its xenophobic fear as well as its supposedly beneficent charity. It is a heady and absorbing new novel by the writer Teju Cole called “a major talent.”
264 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
A. Igoni Barrett
11 books143 followersAdrian Igoni Barrett was a winner of the BBC World Service short story competition for 2005. His first book, a collection of short stories entitled From Caves of Rotten Teeth, was first published in 2005 and reissued in 2008. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of writers aged under 40 with potential and talent to define future trends in African literature.
His father is the Jamaican poet and novelist Lindsay Barrett.
His father is the Jamaican poet and novelist Lindsay Barrett.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 17, 2026
I strongly recommend reading Blackass before diving into this one, in order to get the most appreciation from it.
Four years after Furo Wariboko woke up in Lagos, Nigeria, having transformed overnight into a white man with red hair and green eyes, he has settled into his identity as Frank Whyteface. He takes his first ever trip outside of Nigeria, on a month-long vacation to Amsterdam, Oslo, and Milan. It is in those European cities where his white skin does not cause anyone to notice him — at least not until he opens his mouth and the Nigerian-accented pidgen flows out — that he reaches reconciliation with Nigeria, with his family, and with his own true self in all its varied colors.
Four years after Furo Wariboko woke up in Lagos, Nigeria, having transformed overnight into a white man with red hair and green eyes, he has settled into his identity as Frank Whyteface. He takes his first ever trip outside of Nigeria, on a month-long vacation to Amsterdam, Oslo, and Milan. It is in those European cities where his white skin does not cause anyone to notice him — at least not until he opens his mouth and the Nigerian-accented pidgen flows out — that he reaches reconciliation with Nigeria, with his family, and with his own true self in all its varied colors.
August 26, 2026
A bit on the nose with the symbolisms and I think the book would’ve still flowed well without things being spelled out for the reader, but loved the weaving of family stories. Also an excellent portrayal of global south travel woes, I commiserated a lot
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
As Whyteface begins, Frank Whyte is facing a struggle that most travelers know all too well: He is stuck in traffic on the way to the airport, worried about missing his plane. In his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, “traffic could make you late to your own funeral,” writes novelist A. Igoni Barrett, who lives in the city. Frank bemoans that he did not “set off for the airport at least twelve hours before his flight.”
But after Frank’s freak-out on a packed Lagosian highway, Whyteface stops being a widely relatable travelogue. That’s because of Frank’s unique identity. Born as Furo Wariboko, a Black Nigerian man, Frank woke up one morning as an adult to discover that he had become Caucasian overnight—except... [[READ THE REST IN FP: https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/...]]
But after Frank’s freak-out on a packed Lagosian highway, Whyteface stops being a widely relatable travelogue. That’s because of Frank’s unique identity. Born as Furo Wariboko, a Black Nigerian man, Frank woke up one morning as an adult to discover that he had become Caucasian overnight—except... [[READ THE REST IN FP: https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/...]]
September 7, 2026
I picked up Whyteface from a bookstore here in LA called Reparations Club, because the title and the blurb on the back caught my attention. It was described as “hilarious and sharp-witted”, and I thought, “I could use a book like that.” What I didn’t expect was deep commentary on race, immigration, how the “western world” others countries within Africa, especially a country like Nigeria, or the introspection around family and possibly resenting them for reminding you of where you come from when you’ve worked so hard to separate yourself from that.
I didn’t find Whyteface hilarious or sharp-witted, and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I had seen an honest review or description. However, I think it was one of those books that was good for me, even though it was hard to read. Barrett’s vocabulary put me to shame, forcing me to either Google words or run into the next room to ask my mum for help. Although a novel, Whyteface's storytelling and chapter structure reminded me a lot of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Message. And maybe that’s why I struggled to enjoy this novel; it reminded me of a nonfiction book I loved, and it didn’t feel like fiction. I mean, other than this black man being transformed into a white man with a black ass. That obviously read as fiction.
I rated this book 3 stars because by halfway, I think I found my feet in the story, started to understand where it was going, and could appreciate Frank’s inner thoughts and musings. I also loved that I got to experience a new (to me) author and be one of the five people on Goodreads who have rated this book. That’s an honour, and if I can share A. Igoni Barrett with just one other person, then I think that’s pretty cool.
I didn’t find Whyteface hilarious or sharp-witted, and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I had seen an honest review or description. However, I think it was one of those books that was good for me, even though it was hard to read. Barrett’s vocabulary put me to shame, forcing me to either Google words or run into the next room to ask my mum for help. Although a novel, Whyteface's storytelling and chapter structure reminded me a lot of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Message. And maybe that’s why I struggled to enjoy this novel; it reminded me of a nonfiction book I loved, and it didn’t feel like fiction. I mean, other than this black man being transformed into a white man with a black ass. That obviously read as fiction.
I rated this book 3 stars because by halfway, I think I found my feet in the story, started to understand where it was going, and could appreciate Frank’s inner thoughts and musings. I also loved that I got to experience a new (to me) author and be one of the five people on Goodreads who have rated this book. That’s an honour, and if I can share A. Igoni Barrett with just one other person, then I think that’s pretty cool.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews