Sidney Griffiths

Sidney Griffiths is the main character and narrator of the novel. He is African American. Sidney is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Sid, however, is in Paris and Berlin during his younger years.

While traveling through Berlin and Paris, Sid is trying to make is as a jazz musician. Even though his is a black man, he has light skin. For this reason, Sid often passes as a white person. Sid also speaks fluent German.

After Sid returns to the United States after the war, he stops chasing his dream of being a musician. He works for almost thirty years as a medical transcriptionist. Sid also marries but his wife dies prior to Sid recounting his story.

Sid ends up betraying one of his fellow band members, Hiero, back in Paris. Sid does this out of spite for the attention Hiero receives from the woman Sid loves, Delilah...