Andre Durand is a slight Creole man with close-cropped black hair and a failed attempt at a W.E.B. Dubois beard.  He is dressed in simple clothing, the high quality of which offsets the plainness.  He speaks softly with the faded remains of a French accent.

Durand owns the Leahman Brothers Used Bookstore on the border of Harlem and the Jewish districts.  Andre is no relation to the Leahman family, and pronounces the name with a distinct French accent; "Lei-mon" versus the usual "Lee-man".  In the shop, works of the Harlem Renaissance fight for space with French imports and pulp literature.

Durand is a WW1 veteran who served with the Supply Service.  Raised by shopkeepers in New Orleans, he spoke passable French and could keep accurate records in two languages.  This meant he was quickly assigned to support the 370th Infantry Regiment, AKA the "Black Devils".  Durand spent the entire war as a pencil-pusher and never saw combat, a fact which embarrasses him slightly.  As a result, he rarely makes reference to his time in service.