This is a fictional account of the occupants of a house, or more accurately a location, in western Massachusetts, I think, over the course of many years. The story of this one location is made up of many stories of the various occupants. It starts before there is much of a dwelling at all. There are times when the dwelling is vacant; at least there are no humans living in it. At least at one point, various animals utilize the shelter. The author changes style and tone, even utilizing poetry, for some of the “tenants”.
The author takes account of the various time periods in the life of the house. For example, after the Civil War, there was a fascination with mediums, who claimed to be able to contact deceased relatives. (If that were possible, it would make genealogy sooo much easier!) Sometimes the descendants of the owners inherit and stay in the house, sometimes it is sold to completely different people. There are additions added to the house, outbuildings get moved, sometimes things get updated.
Mason never anthropomorphizes the house itself, but there are a few ghosts. A few people died there, of a variety of causes, over the years. At one point, people discover the remains of some of the early deaths. Sometimes the ghosts interact with the current residents. The book also talks about how the land around the house changes over time, with some species of plants and animals disappearing from the area.
If this was your family, how would you research them? There are ways research your house, or your ancestor’s house. Usually, you start, like most genealogy, by going backwards in time. You search public deed records to see who was in the house before you, and who lived there before that, and eventually, you get back to it being farmland, or pasture land, or possibly bounty land. The Bureau of Land Management website has a great way to look up General Land Office records, at https://glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx. This will give you the first owner for land sold or given as bounty by the Federal Government.