At the end of WWII, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.  The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister Maeve are exiled from the house by their stepmother.  Two wealthy siblings are thrown back into poverty and find that all they have to count on is one another.  This unshakeable bond between them both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.