To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

“'I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.' It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived."

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story that explores the courage, understanding, kindness, and cruelty at the heart of many people. It shows how the moral values of people can be skewed by racism and bitterness towards different ethnic groups. This story takes place in the Deep South, in Macomb County, Alabama, after the Second World War. You see Macomb through the eyes of a small white girl - a world where an unjust social hierarchy reigns supreme.

Atticus, the girl’s father, is a small town lawyer. One year he is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been charged with the rape of a white woman, and who, if convicted, will be put to death. This trial is one of the biggest the county has ever seen. It splits the town in two. Some people just can’t see past the color of Tom Robinson’s skin even though in everyone’s hearts they know he is innocent.

For some, the trial opens their eyes, but for others it makes them bitter and vengeful. For Jem and Scout, Atticus’ children, their innocence is shaken as they struggle to understand the reasons for the racism and prejudice in Macomb.

Now with millions of copies in print and translated into 10 languages and in nearly all high school curriculums in the U.S., To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most famous pieces of American literature.

This book is probably one of the best books I’ve read, however it’s not an easy book to understand; I recommend getting your parents to help you.

5 Stars
 
Justice