Many are familiar with Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Whether in school or in a retirement home, most Americans have read a copy of Lee’s novel at some point in their lives. The popular book is a page-turner that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, but there are only so many pages to be read; eventually, the story must end. But does it end there? Surprisingly, Lee had written a second book, Go Set a Watchman, about the Finch family before the first novel was even published. This second book continues their story as they live through the racial struggles and protests of the 1950s, just decades after the setting of the first novel.

For those who have not had a chance to read it yet, the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, follows the Finch family in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Atticus Finch, a successful lawyer, defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a young white girl. Atticus’ daughter, Scout, and his son, Jem, begin to see the world from an adult’s perspective and notice its many flaws. The historical information embedded in this story has resulted in most schools either requiring it for summer reading or adding it to the class curriculum.

To Kill a Mockingbird has clinched a spot on the list of the most influential works of American literature. With forty-million copies sold worldwide, Lee has accumulated a large network of fans and followers over the years. The Friends School community holds some of Lee’s fans right here, and Julia Blumberg ‘15 is among them. She shares, “I am actually really excited about the book–I loved To Kill A Mockingbird. I would definitely read it [Go Set a Watchman], and I do think it will be a great book. I’m excited she is finally coming out with a continuation.” Many fans like Blumberg are thrilled with the news of a new novel. After receiving word about the impending release of Go Set a Watchman, fans took to the internet to reserve a copy. Almost instantly, the book popped up to Amazon’s number one. The plot of this new book follows Scout Finch, now an adult, as she journeys back home to Alabama from New York to visit her dad. While there, she deals with political and personal issues of the early Civil Rights Movement.

Lee’s fans were not the only ones to be surprised by the discovery of the classic’s sequel. Even Lee herself had believed the book was lost until August 2014 when her lawyer, Tonja Carter, notified her of its discovery. After sifting through some documents, Carter came across a copy of what she had believed to be To Kill Mockingbird. After reading through a few of the pages, though, she quickly realized that, although similar, this was not the published book. Lee was extremely excited about the resurfacing of her manuscript, and said she had intended for that book to be her first published, but her editor, Tay Hohoff, had advised her to write a story from Scout’s point of view as a child. Lee had put Go Set a Watchman aside and began To Kill a Mockingbird.

There has been some controversy as to whether or not Lee wanted this new novel published. Some have said that Lee’s health has been deteriorating for years now, and with it, her mind. Because Lee had made several public statements refusing to write another novel, may people worried that this new release was taking advantage of her poor health. Kathryn Kenney, Head of the English Department, shared her opinion on the odd release of the second book. She said, “Something that bothers me about it is that she has been unwilling or has flat out refused to give interviews for years, so this is out of character, which is a little baffling. There have been biographies of Lee written in the past years, which she has not been supportive of, so she seemed to just disappear from the public eye.” Many of Lee’s fans, like Kenney, share a common confusion over Lee’s decision to publish this book now. Is the famous author truly losing her mind? It appears not, as Lee smashed rumors about herself when she stated that she simply thought Go Set a Watchman was lost. Lee continues to express her thrill and pleasure that the manuscript resurfaced.
The book Lee has been waiting to share for the past sixty years is finally scheduled to be released this July 14th. Normally, it would be a good idea to read the first book before diving into the sequel; however, since Lee intended for this book to be released first, reading Go Set a Watchman before To Kill a Mockingbird may not be a bad choice.