Rescued from a home for orphans, August Sitwell has worked for the wealthy Barclay family for many years. He has moved up to groundskeeper. Also working for the Barclays are Miss Mamie, the cook; Jenny, the maid; and three young boys also rescued from an orphanage. August spends a lot of time with Miss Mamie in the kitchen and looking out for the three boys! The Barclays start to lose their fortune because of poor business dealings, so when someone wants to buy the recipe for the rib sauce served at the home- the Barclays agree. The problem is the sauce was created by August and Miss Mamie, but neither of them will see a dime from its sale. When a caricature of August is chosen for the bottle, August originally agrees to its use. His eventual humiliation leads to a simmering anger that results in violence. The book is an interesting look at race and advertising.