Harrison Shepherd

Harrison Shepherd is the main character/protagonist. The plot tells the story of his life from his childhood until his supposed death by drowning. The majority of the narrative is told from his perspective with occasional sections being told from the perspective of the archivist Violet Brown and other sections told from the perspective of journalists and official government record keepers. The central issue for Harry’s character is his dual identity as both Mexican and American as well as another significant split between his dual identity as a server/employee and a writer/man of influence.

For Harry, wherever he goes he is always a foreigner, with Mexicans and Americans alike commenting on his unusual accent in whichever language he speaks. Harry’s experience in each of his countries helps him in the other. In Mexico, he is able to get work as a typist and...