Winner of a Pulitzer Prize, among other awards, To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lee's classic novel of a white lawyer defending a black man falsely accused of and charged with the rape of a white girl. Taking place in the deep south during the Great Depression, and told through the eyes of Finch's young daughter Scout, the beloved book is both her coming-of-age story, and a darker drama that examines racism and prejudice in the fictional small town of Maycomb, Alabama.
In addition to winning prestigious awards, the book has also been translated into more than 40 languages and has sold over forty million copies worldwide. With these accolades, it's no surprise that the book is widely regarded as one of the most-beloved stories of all time. It has even inspired adaptations for audiobook, screen, and stage, the most famous being the 1962 film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.
two words with two g's
spread hate like a disease
the smoke is everywhere
and iby Marcus Amaker - hear the full poem here
can't
breathe
However, not all reviews have been positive. Since its publication in 1960, Mockingbird has become one of the most frequently challenged books in the U.S. While conservative objectors complain about profane language, leftists have concerns too. The writing is criticized for having a white savior complex by focusing on the POV of the white characters and not fully developing its black characters. Many argue not to remove the book from libraries altogether, but from the school curriculum, thus allowing teachers to decide if they're comfortable guiding students through a discussion of both its merits and flaws as an American classic.