The Dutch House

In a bold, sweeping novel that moves from wartime Ireland to the streets of Dublin and Philadelphia, The Dutch House introduces us to the Conroy family: father Cyril, his wife Noreen and their children Danny and Maeve. Cyril is a rogue and a dreamer who believes his good fortune will continue when he invests in a house in Ireland—a Dutch House. But when Ireland’s economy collapses, he can’t afford to keep it up and it soon becomes obvious that life in America is all he can give his children. The Dutch House vividly renders the delicate yet resilient bond between an older brother and a younger sister at home in their mother’s grudging affection but utterly dependent on each other for growth and survival. As they grow older, another sibling enters their lives—the ambitious Celia, who was born wealthy but has married her way into the Conroy family money. This is a story of greed played out through five generations of two families—and two very different men vying for success through love, violence and infidelity.