The fragile stability of the Darcy family in a post-war Sydney slum fractures when a complex romantic entanglement forces two sisters into a painful competition for the same man. Roie and Dolour Darcy navigate the harsh economic realities of their environment while grappling with the emotional fallout of their shared affection for Charlie Rothe. The narrative follows their struggle to maintain familial loyalty against the backdrop of poverty and social upheaval. Through a third-person perspective, the story examines the internal conflicts of women attempting to carve out lives of dignity within a restrictive and unforgiving urban landscape.

This work is widely recognized as a significant contribution to Australian social realism, capturing the grit and resilience of mid-century urban life. Readers and critics often highlight the author's ability to balance the bleakness of the setting with the nuanced, often painful, interior lives of her characters. The portrayal of the Darcy family serves as a poignant study of the limitations imposed by class and the quiet endurance required to survive them. The novel remains a staple of Australian literary studies, valued for its authentic voice and its unflinching look at the domestic consequences of economic hardship.