August’s Treasure’s theme is set in the Appalachian region and it’s history is part of the bedrock in this sweeping novel. An adventurous story of the building of the railroads forms the backdrop for a tale of suspense and intrigue, taking the reader on a journey across the country, back and forth through time from the 19th century to the present, as young August Hargrove sets off to find and to free one person–himself. In order to save his young neck, August Hargrove flees the North Carolina mountains to the wild West. His adventures on a Mississippi River steamboat and transcontinental train, mining for gold in a place named Skidaddle, and building a steam-powered sawmill in the wilds along the East Fork of the Pigeon River leave a rich legacy for later generations of Hargroves to sort out. Great-grandson Clint Hargrove finds an old treasure map and endeavors to follow its clues in uncovering century-old Hargrove secrets.