Harper Lee is coming out with a new novel. I was VERY excited about it, but now I’m a bit worried… according to reports, Harper Lee isn’t all there and will almost sign anything that’s put in front of her. Her sister, who had it very together and took care of all Lee’s business, died last year. I hope it’s all fine, and I do trust that Harper Collins is a company who won’t outright screw her over. I just hope that the other people looking after Lee are trustworthy too. They’ve proven otherwise in the past. If you’re interested; http://the-toast.net/2015/02/04/questions-harper-lee-editor-interview/ is a pretty great article explaining all the ins and outs of the crazy.
I was excited in large part because To Kill a Mockingbird was a huge part of my formative Junior High years. Back then, the teacher would give us a book, and then we would read it (sometimes during silent reading time in class), and then we would do a bunch of projects on it. I read so much faster than my classmates that I had usually been through the thing 4 times – at least – before we switched to the next book.
To Kill a Mockingbird was different. They messed up my schedule royally due to a new computer system and I was placed in a different class, with a different teacher, who were on a different reading schedule than my own class. The book they were reading? Yup. Scout, Atticus, Boo, and Jem followed me from place to place that year. They eventually put me back into my old class where my quick reading habits got me caught up quickly on whatever we read next – I don’t remember the book. But I definitely remember Atticus’ embarrassing talent with the mouth harp, and how he had to shoot the rabid dog that summer day, having to look up what a chifferobe was (it’s a wardrobe with drawers), and how the town drunk didn’t have alcohol in his brown paper-wrapped bottle.
I hope it’s all on the up-and-up with Harper Lee. I would really hate to not read this book.
Casey E. Hamilton 