Harper Lee to Publish New Novel About Scout

Harper Lee

News flashes make me nervous these days.  Last thing I want to do is hear of another war, beheading, terrorist attack, or bad economy indicator.  But about five minutes ago, something came across my desk from CNN that made me smile out loud:

Harper Lee is going to publish a new/old novel.  Go Set a Watchman features her beloved character Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, but this one features the adult version of Scout. Ms. Lee says that, in it, Scout often flashes back to her childhood, and that is what caught the attention of her editor - who suggested that she start over and write a different novel actually set in that period of Scout's life.  The rest is history.  To Kill a Mockingbird became an international sensation...Go Set a Watchman was filed away for 55 years.

According to CNN, Harper had this to say:

"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. 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."

The book will be published in mid-July, and if this is not the publishing event of 2015, I will eat my St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.