An epic family saga set in South Africa. A spurned lover marries for money and ignites a family feud of passion and betrayal that spans three generations. It is New Year's Eve 1924 and Charles McGill is devastated when the woman he loves announces her engagement to Lucas Connelly, his friend and co-worker. Charles drowns his sorrow in drink and seduces Hilde Richter, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. When Hilde finds she is pregnant her father offers to set up the penniless Charles with his own bakery if he will marry her. Charles readily agrees and, unknown to Hilde, the two men draw up a contract. It is the beginning of a bitter rivalry between Charles, Lucas Connelly, and Miles Davenport their former employer. A rivalry that fractures families, tests love and loyalty, and comes at a cost that Charles could never have imagined. The Breadwinners covers six decades and leads us through the successes and failures of the three families as they survive the great depression, the war years and the isolation of South Africa.