The main protagonist of Shift, Donald Keene serves three shifts throughout the novel, providing it with its name. Donald is a congressperson from Georgia whose family is connected to senior and beloved senator Paul Thurman. Donald is college educated and an elected official who shouldn’t be naive and subject to manipulation, but he’s portrayed as more innocent and well-meaning than a seasoned politician. Donald allows Senator Thurman and his daughter, Anna, to take advantage of him. Thurman warns Donald from the beginning that to get ahead in Washington, DC, one must learn to deceive via both the truth and lies, yet Donald doesn’t truly understand what Thurman is telling him until learning the truth behind the lies he has been told.

The first part of the book moves back and forth through time, following both Donald and Troy. However, before the end of this first section, the narrative reveals that Troy and Donald are the same person. The difference between them is memory. Troy doesn’t remember his true identity. Troy is aware of his lack of memory and struggles with the few things he remembers about this past, deciding to actively attempt to recall his missing memories.