On the Amity sugar cane plantation, mistress Caroline decides she wants to train the adorable slave July as her personal maid. As July grows up, she learns how to ‘handle’ her mistress with small victories along the way. The abolition of slavery turns the world upside down. When a new overseer arrives, July and Caroline are intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary plans to improve the plantation.

The harvest at Amity is ready to be taken in or the crop will spoil, but tensions are brewing between the workers and Robert. Robert expects the workers to put in long hours; the workers are now free to challenge his authority. With Robert feeling more and more humiliated with the ‘ungrateful’ former slaves, a stand-off develops between them. July can see Robert changing and this scares her.

With the crop starting to spoil and Amity in ruins, Robert’s sanity starts to unravel with possibly devastating consequences for Tamara and her child. Many years later, narrator July is in a desperate position and uncertain of her future. Arrested for stealing food, July appears in court and someone July thought she’d never see again is an unexpected presence and could help to save her life.