Author Harper Lee Releases Second Novel

Harper Lee’s 1960 novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ became an American classic, a literary best seller that has been taught in classrooms across the country. The movie adaptation, starring Gregory Peck as Southern lawyer Atticus Finch, went on to receive eight Academy Award nominations and three Oscars. Now 55 years later the author is publishing her second book.

Lee’s 304-page sequel ‘Go Set a Watchman’ introduces Scout as an adult woman who revisits her childhood through flashbacks and was actually her first book. But Lee’s editor at the time was impressed by the description of Scout’s younger years and encouraged Lee to write a novel from the perspective of the little girl. That work became the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Lee reportedly didn’t know the original manuscript had survived until it was discovered by her lawyer Tonja Carter. Lee eventually decided to share it with a few close associates who encouraged her to publish it.

The novel, set to release in July, takes place in the same fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama and deals with racial tensions in the 1950 as well as the relationship between Scout and her father.