The Dutch House

Cyril Conroy builds a massive real estate business at the close of World War II by leveraging good fortune and a single astute investment, lifting his family out of extreme poverty. Purchasing the Dutch House, an opulent mansion in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, is his first task. The home, intended as a surprise for his wife, causes everyone he cares about to fall apart.

The narrative is given by Danny, the son of Cyril, when he and his elder sister Maeve—a sharply witty and confident woman—are banished from the home where they were raised by their stepmother. When the two affluent siblings' parents are forced to return to the squalor they had fled, they realise they can only rely on one another. Their unwavering relationship is what both prevents their futures and saves their lives.

The Dutch House is a sad fairy tale about two intelligent individuals who are unable to get beyond their past, set over the span of five decades. Danny and Maeve seem to be successful on the outside, but they are most at ease when they are together. They often revisit the well-worn narrative of what they've lost throughout their lives, full of fury and humour. However, the connection between an indulgent brother and his overly protective sister is eventually put to the test when they are forced to face the people who abandoned them.