To Kill a Mockingbird was
first published by Harper Lee in 1960, on the cusp of a changing America.
There was tension everywhere to be found - racial,
sexual, political, and social. Some describe the era as a
bubble that was ready to burst after years of hostility on so-called freedoms.
So it was only fitting for the time to introduce a book that would challenge the notions of race in America.
To Kill a
Mockingbird addresses many socially challenging situations, both directly
and indirectly, all through the innocent eyes of a six-year-old girl. Very thought provoking.
Controversial or not, the book and the movie, which
was produced 2 years after the novel's debut, are both still taught in many
classrooms to this day. The author, native Alabamian (Nelle) Harper Lee, has
received many honors for her only published novel, including the Presidential
Medal of Freedom.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Harper Lee would
be releasing her second novel, some fifty-five years after her first, one, and
only, publication to date. Obviously, due to the popularity of To Kill a
Mockingbird, and the fact that Harper Lee was once closely tied to the famous
author Truman Capote, which sparked its own controversy of the book itself, this book
release is and has been highly anticipated.
So, without further ado, Go Set a Watchman will be
released to the public on Tuesday, July 14th. Buy the audible edition and Reese
Witherspoon will be reading the story to you, what a treat!
But for those of you that just can't wait any
longer, after all fifty-five years has already been a long time, The Wall
Street Journal is releasing a sneak peek at the first chapter today! Oh, and if you haven't seen To Kill a Mockingbird yet, go out and get! Book or movie, I won't judge...