In 1944, the Pickles family inherits a house located in Perth, Western Australia. After moving, they decide to divide the house and rent half of the house to the Lamb family.
The Lamb family, just like the Pickles are a poor family; however, the Lamb family members are smart. So, Oriel Lamb decides to open a grocery store in the bottom of the house, which becomes popular in the neighborhood. It even caused the name of the street, Number one Cloud Street to be known as Cloudstreet.
The Lambs pay their rent from the profits of the store, which allows the Pickles to be financially stable. The Lambs are hard-working and functional as a team, while the Pickles are unfaithful, gamblers and alcoholics.
The two families have children of their own. Rose Pickles, the only daughter in the family, is wiser and has knowledge of what the actions of her parents will eventually end up in. She has two brothers.
And the Lamb, who have three sons and three daughters, but the story presents more of Fish and Quick. Early in the story, Fish almost drowns in a fishing accident, which caused him to revert to a mentality of a boy. His brother, Quick blames himself and suffers from a depression because of it.
