Harper Lee’s newly rediscovered book “Go Set a Watchman” will be coming out more than 50 years after “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which was known as her only book for decades.
The book had been abandoned after Lee’s editor asked her to write a book taking place in Scout’s childhood, after finding enjoyment in the many flashbacks featured in “Go Set a Watchman.” So, despite having been written first, “Go Set a Watchman” is a continuation with overlapping aspects such as characters and themes.
Lee believed that drafts of the book had been long gone, however her lawyer and friend found the manuscript where Lee keeps her archives. After sharing the story with only a few people, the Pulitzer Prize winner was finally reassured that it was worthy of publishing after previously feeling otherwise.
As far as why Lee had never published another book after all of those years, according to the New York Times, she found the publicity overwhelming and that “she had said all she had to say in that single work.”
The book will appear on bookshelves on July 14th, 2015 and will also be available for e-books.
