"For fifteen years August Sitwell has worked for the Barclays, a well-to-do white family who plucked him from an orphan asylum and gave him a job. The groundskeeper is part of the household's all-black staff, along with "Miss Mamie," the talented cook, pretty new maid Jennie Williams, and three young kitchen apprentices--the latest orphan boys Mr. Barclay has taken in to civilize boys like August. But the Barclays fortunes have fallen, and their money is almost gone. When a prospective business associate proposes selling ...
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"For fifteen years August Sitwell has worked for the Barclays, a well-to-do white family who plucked him from an orphan asylum and gave him a job. The groundskeeper is part of the household's all-black staff, along with "Miss Mamie," the talented cook, pretty new maid Jennie Williams, and three young kitchen apprentices--the latest orphan boys Mr. Barclay has taken in to civilize boys like August. But the Barclays fortunes have fallen, and their money is almost gone. When a prospective business associate proposes selling Miss Mamie's delicious rib sauce to local markets under the brand name "The Rib King"--using a caricature of a wildly grinning August on the label--Mr. Barclay, desperate for cash, agrees. Yet neither Miss Mamie nor August will see a dime. Humiliated, August grows increasingly distraught, his anger building to a rage that explodes in shocking tragedy."--Provided by publisher.
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Add this copy of The Rib King: a Novel to cart. $1.47, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Amistad.
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Seller's Description:
The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
Add this copy of The Rib King: a Novel to cart. $3.52, good condition, Sold by BooksRun rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Philadelphia, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2023 by Amistad.
I am not typically a fan of historical fiction, so I was unsure of how much I was going to enjoy THE RIB KING. I typically gravitate towards fast-paced books so this slow burn of a novel was a nice change of pace. I enjoyed slowing down, getting to know the characters, and watching the story of The Rib King unfold.
One thing I was not expecting when I started reading the book was the switch in main character about halfway through. The first half focuses on August Sitwell--the groundskeeper-turned-butler of the Barclay household. The second half focuses on Jennie Williams--the Barclay's maid. While The Rib King brand is the glue that binds the second half of the book to the first, it seemed to branch off into a direction that I was not expecting based on the synopsis. I was unsure at some points how all of the different details of the book were going to fit together, but Hubbard managed to pull everything together at the end of the book. The ending was one that I did not see coming.
While reading the book I kept thinking about brands like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's---how the real Black people behind these recognizable brands have been used by corporations run by predominantly white men to sell products. It's a conversation I know brands have had over the past handful of years, and this book does an excellent job of exploring the topic.
