The story opens with Karabo, a young woman from the black South African township of Phokeng, describing her white "madam," Mrs. Plum. In the suburbs of Johannesburg where Karabo works for Mrs. Plum, all of the homeowners are wealthy and white, and all of the servants are black and poor. This is South Africa under apartheid, the system of laws that kept whites, blacks, Indians, and mixedrace people or "coloreds" in separate places ("apart") to protect the power of the white minority.

Mrs. Plum is not like any employer Karabo has ever heard of. She uses Karabo's African name, instead of giving her a "white" name like Jane. She encourages Karabo to improve herself by giving her books and newspapers to read, teaching her to follow recipes, and paying for dance lessons. She praises Karabo when she does well. She even makes Karabo join her for...