Shirley Jackson's beloved gothic tale of a peculiar girl named Merricat and her family's dark
secret with an afterword by Jonathan Lethem. A Penguin Vitae Edition Merricat Blackwood
lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her uncle Julian. Not long ago there
were seven Blackwoods-until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one
terrible night. Acquitted of the murders Constance has returned home where Merricat protects
her from the curiousity and hostility of the villagers. Their days pass in happy isolation
until cousin Charles appears. Only Merricat can see the danger and she must act swiftly to
keep Constance from his grasp. Penguin Classics presents Penguin Vitae loosely translated as
"Penguin of one's life " a deluxe hardcover series featuring a dynamic landscape of classic
fiction and nonfiction that has shaped the course of our readers' lives. Penguin Vitae invites
readers to find themselves in a diverse world of storytellers with beautifully designed
classic editions of personal inspiration intellectual engagement and creative originality.
