Short Summary: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson is a haunting tale of isolation, dark family secrets, and the fragile dynamics of control and dependence, following the lives of two sisters, Merricat and Constance Blackwood, as they live in seclusion after a horrific tragedy befalls their family. Book Information Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle Author: Shirley Jackson ISBN: 978-0140071078 Genre: Gothic Fiction, Psychological Horror, Suspense Published Year: 1962 Introduction to the Blackwood Family The novel is narrated by Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood , an 18-year-old girl with a peculiar and unsettling worldview. Merricat lives in isolation with her elder sister, Constance , and their frail, aging Uncle Julian in the Blackwood family home. The Blackwoods are shunned by the local villagers, who harbor resentment and animosity toward the family due to their wealth and the mysterious tragedy that struck years prior. Six years before t...