Bromfield creates a sophisticated and complex account of a family and its position in society. John Shane, a mysterious gentleman appears in a midwestern town and builds his estate--Cypress Hill--beyond the penetrating eyes of the townspeople who refer to it as Shane's Castle. After his death, his widow Julia, and daughters Lily and Irene, make no effort to quell the speculation of their neighbors. Steel mills eventually surround Shane's Castle and its inhabitants, serving only to enhance the appearance of the Shane clan's separateness.With his keen storytelling, Bromfield carefully unfolds the stories of a community of people and the Shane women with whom they are fascinated, preoccupied, and even obsessed.