City Coldson is the main character and protagonist of the novel. He is 14 years old in the narrative present of both Part 1 and Part 2. Because Part 1 and Part 2 are set in different eras and toy with time and space, City’s character is different in each respective section. In Part 1, City lives in Jackson, Mississippi, with his mother. As a freshman at Fannie Lou Hamer Magnet School, City’s biggest initial concern is proving himself to his friends, his peers, and his rival, LaVander Peeler. City loves to read, write, and invent sentences. Therefore, City is proud when he gets the chance to participate in the Can You Use That Word in a Sentence contest when the competition comes to Mississippi for the first time. However, he fails to understand the cultural and racial implications of his and LaVander’s involvement in the competition. The contest ultimately changes how City sees and understands the Intersection of Race, History, and Identity. After his outburst on national television, he must go to Melahatchie to stay with his grandmother, and his experiences while there challenge City to take ownership of who he has been and to overcome the desire for vengeance.