Lee was always famous for being a one-novel author, but 55 years after the release of her Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee is publishing her second novel, Go Set a Watchman. It is a privilege to live within the midst of such a canonic author; we all know that To Kill a Mockingbird still graces the summer reading lists and teacher lesson plans today, not to mention the neverending well of wisdom that is Atticus Finch.
However, there is reason to be suspicious of this announcement. Lee has avidly avoided the spotlight throughout her life, which is part of the reason, presumably, that she hasn’t published anything since To Kill a Mockingbird. It turns out that Lee’s sister, Alice, who is a lawyer and supposedly the inspiration for her character Atticus Finch , died just four months ago in November 2014. Alice, it turns out, was responsible for protecting Lee from the unwanted side-effects of fame and from other attorneys looking to rip her off. Furthermore, Lee herself is rumored to be not in a completely lucid state of mind, as she has suffered a stroke in the past. Without her sister Alice by her side, could it be possible that the publishing rights to Go Set a Watchman were not given willfully?
Despite its later release, Go Set a Watchman was actually written prior to To Kill a Mockingbird. Like Mockingbird, Lee’s new (old?) novel also follows the protagonist Scout Finch. Go Set a Watchman is essentially a sequel to Mockingbird in which Scout, who, as an adult, visits her old hometown. Atticus will be back as well.
The release date of Go Set a Watchman is set for July 14, 2015. Mark your calendars collegiates!