Harper Lee, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” will publish a second novel in July — more than 50 years after her first.
"Go Set a Watchman" is a sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird,” though the unpublished
novel was completed first, The Associated Press reported.
"It features the character known as Scout as an adult woman, and I thought it a pretty decent effort,” the 88-year-old Lee said in a statement. “My editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout's childhood, persuaded me to write a novel (what became 'To Kill a Mockingbird') from the point of view of the young Scout."
"I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told. I hadn't realized it (the original book) had survived, so was surprised and delighted when my dear friend and lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it," she continued. "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."
“To Kill a Mockingbird,” has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, translated into more than 40 languages and has been the only published book by the
reclusive author, The New York Times reported.
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, will print 2 million copies of "Go Set a Watchman" set to hit shelves on July 14. The book is set 20 years after “To Kill a Mockingbird” in the same fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, where Scout Finch returns to visit her father, Atticus.
"The existence of 'Go Set a Watchman' was unknown until recently, and its discovery is an extraordinary gift to the many readers and fans of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,'" Jonathan Burnham,
Harper's senior vice president and publisher, said, according to CNN. "Reading in many ways like a sequel to Harper Lee's classic novel, it is a compelling and ultimately moving narrative about a father and a daughter's relationship, and the life of a small Alabama town living through the racial tensions of the 1950s."
An article in Jezebel raised questions about the timing of the new book’s release.
“Sadly, this news is not without controversy or complications,” Jezebel said. “Harper Lee's sister, Alice Lee, who ferociously protected Harper Lee's estate (and person) from unwanted outside attention as a lawyer and advocate for decades, passed away late last year, leaving the intensely private author (who herself is reportedly in ill health) vulnerable to people who may not have her best interests at heart.”
Twitter users shared mixed reactions.