Chatting Books Online Year 2, Day 71. To carry on the theme of yesterday's recommendation of To Kill a Mockingbird today's recommended book is Go Set A Watchman also by Harper Lee.
This is the book that created To Kill a Mockingbird. It is actually the book Harper Lee wrote first though it was not published until 75 years after To Kill a Mockingbird hit the shelves. It is, to my mind , a much more complete story of Atticus and Scout Finch and their father / daughter relationship but when Harper Lee shopped it to publishers it was rejected until one publisher said "I like this part of the story" expand that into a book thus birthing Mockingbird. When this book was finally released it caused quite a bit of controversy. Did Harper Lee really want it published (she was 89 at the time) ? Why did she wait so long? And then there was the fact that it exposed not so nice parts of Atticus Finch's history and personality and those who had held him as an icon of equal rights and fairness suddenly saw parts of him they did not like. I personally love the book. We are all flawed, it is time we accept that . But it is in overcoming those flaws ( as Atticus did so well ) that we grow.
As a side note to learn more about Harper Lee and the writing (and publishing ) of both books be sure and read The Furious Hours by Casey Cep (recommended book # 202 on October 3, 2020) . Fascinating story about how she came to write both books mixed in with a true crime story to boot!
Go Set A Watchman is available in paperback at 280 pages currently selling for $ 15.99 a copy. We also carry a boxed set with To Kill a Mockingbird both in hardcover and selling for $ 55.00 .
To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you
