To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper LeeIn 2010 Harper Lee’s beloved classic turned fifty. I decided to read it again and it became the last book I read in 2010. I must admit, I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but I found it utterly engrossing. I enjoy books that are not what critics would consider well-written. I typically read for plot. In this case I was enthralled by her words and the simplicity and beauty of her writing. This is the quintessential loss of innocence story that I think everyone should pick up once as a child, and once as an adult. While we all could identify with the children early in our lives we can re-read it and empathize with the adults and how the “right thing” isn’t always possible in the framework of the world.
If you are interested to know where the ideas for this classic came from, I suggest you check out the biography of Harper Lee, Mockingbird by Charles Shields. It is amazing to see how many of the characters and situations were drawn from Lee's own childhood.
