This fascinating novel recounts the fate of two families: the Braintree family living in 1930 and the Hammilson family living in 1991. Amazingly, the modern day Hammilson family is the reincarnation of the earlier Braintree family. On the banks of the Hudson River is the community of Northern Spring, New York. Off a route named Legacy Road, is the estate that belonged to Silas Braintree. In 1930, a mansion known as The Braintree House that he built during the booming 1920s, dominates the riverbank. The area's economy depends on five factories located along the river, one of which, The Braintree Textile Company, belongs to Silas. Silas is married and has two grown children. During the early months of 1930, the family foresaw the oncoming Great Depression and decided to save itself by stealing the weekly factory payroll money. While initially successful, the plan ended in death and a curse that settled in the family mansion. The Hammilson family also consisted of a couple and their two grown children. When the family moves into The Braintree House, they feel an odd sense of déjà vu.