To Kill a Mockingbird

It isn't often that the first novel of an unknown author is published by a major house--and it's even less often that such a work receives rave reviews, a Pulitzer Prize, and is made into a major movie.  Such was the case in 1961, however, when Harper Lee's only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, made its first appearance on the shelves.  This now-classic work weaves autobiographical elements (childhood friend Truman Capote makes a thinly-veiled appearance as “Dill”) into a tale which functions equally well as a sociological study of the Deep South in the thirties, as it does as a really “great read.” Many themes run through Miss Lee's work, including superstition, the value of education, the evil of prejudice, the relationship between physical growth and psychological maturity, and the “caste system” prevalent in Southern communities.  She does not lecture, however, and life's serious elements are woven easily and skillfully with the lighter and more humorous aspects of daily living.  It's hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this touching novel--regardless of what level they read on, or what they are looking for in a book.