Harper Lee, Author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Is to Publish a Second Novel!!!

[elleng]

Harper Lee, the reclusive author of the beloved best-selling novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” will publish a second recently discovered novel this summer, her publisher, Harper, announced Tuesday.

The novel, “Go Set a Watchman,” was completed in the mid-1950s, and takes place when Scout Finch, the heroine of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” is grown up and looking back on her childhood. It features many of the same characters.

In a statement released by her publisher, Ms. Lee, 88, said that she wrote “Go Set a Watchman” first, but was asked by an editor to rework the novel from Scout’s perspective. That book became “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a classic that was published in 1960 and has sold more than 40 million copies globally.

Ms. Lee never published another novel. She said in the statement she thought that the earlier book had been lost or destroyed.

“I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told,” she said. “I hadn’t realized it had survived, so was surprised and delighted when my dear friend and lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it. After much thought and hesitation I shared it with a handful of people I trust and was pleased to hear that they considered it worthy of publication. I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/books/harper-lee-author-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird-is-to-publish-a-new-novel.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

[MADem]

1. Wow.

They say everyone has at least one good book in 'em.

Maybe HL has two....?

Very neat news.

[shenmue]

2. Yay!

[BrotherIvan]

3. Wow

That is wonderful news. Though I'm not sure how she can top TKAMB, she definitely knows how to write. I thought she was so smart, once she had written a perfect book to stop. But this sounds so interesting I will be sure to read it.

[LittleBlue]

4. Brave

There's nowhere to go but down from such a classic.

Can't wait.

[Kablooie]

5. But it isn't a regular sequel. It's the original book.

It could be that the issues she brings up in this new book the publisher thought might not be accepted by the audience of the time so she was encouraged to visit them as an innocent child character.

This could be a further progression of the same themes from the first book or exploration of new ones.

I was skeptical when I first heard she had a new book thinking she was writing it as an older lady, but hearing that it was written around when she wrote Mockingbird I am more hopeful.

[Agnosticsherbet]

6. A book I look forward to reading.

[Brother Buzz]

7. We finally put to bed the rumor that Truman Capote wrote her first book

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5244492

Is it possible to write two opus' in one lifetime? I'm looking forward to laying my hands on a her new book.