Synopses & Reviews
To Kill a Mockingbird may well be our national novel. It is the first adult novel that many of us remember reading, one book that millions of us have in common. It sells nearly a million copies a year, more than any other twentieth-century American classic. Harper Lee's first and only novel, published in July 1960, is a beloved classic and touchstone in American literary and social history.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mary McDonagh Murphy reviews its history and examines how the novel has left its mark on a broad range of novelists, historians, journalists, and artists.
In compelling interviews, Anna Quindlen, Tom Brokaw, Oprah Winfrey, James Patterson, James McBride, Scott Turow, Wally Lamb, Andrew Young, Richard Russo, Adriana Trigiani, Rick Bragg, Jon Meacham, Allan Gurganus, Diane McWhorter, Lee Smith, Rosanne Cash, and others reflect on when they first read the novel, what it means to themthen and nowand how it has affected their lives and careers. Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a lively appreciation of the many ways in which the novel has madeand continues to makea difference to generations of readers.
Harper Lee has not given an interview since 1964, but Murphy's reporting, research, and rare interviews with the author's sister and friends stitch together a brief history of how the novel, as well as the acclaimed 1962 movie, came to be.
Review
“And thats really what reading this book is like: attending a big book club meeting with 26 lovers of To Kill a Mockingbird.” Los Angeles Times
Review
“You come away from Murphys book with a renewed amazement at what Lee was able to achieve with a single perfect novel.” Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis
First in
To Kill a Mockingbird and fifty-five years later with
Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee's beloved characters resonate with readers long after the books are finished.
To Kill a Mockingbird, published in July 1960, has become a touchstone in American literary and social history. It may well be our national novel.
With Scout, Atticus & Boo, Mary McDonagh Murphy commemorates more than half a century of To Kill a Mockingbird by exploring the novel's history and influence. In compelling interviews, Anna Quindlen, Tom Brokaw, Oprah Winfrey, James Patterson, James McBride, Scott Turow, Wally Lamb, Andrew Young, Richard Russo, Adriana Trigiani, Rick Bragg, Jon Meacham, Allan Gurganus, Diane McWhorter, Lee Smith, Rosanne Cash, and others reflect on their own personal connections to Lee's masterpiece, what it means to them—then and now—and how it has affected their lives and careers.
Synopsis
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Harper Lees beloved classic To Kill a Mockingbird, filmmaker Mary Murphy has interviewed prominent figures—including Oprah, Anna Quindlen, and Tom Brokaw—on how the book has impacted their lives. These interviews are compiled in Scout, Atticus, and Boo, the perfect companion to one of the most important American books of the 20th Century. Scout, Atticus, and Boo will also feature a foreword from acclaimed writer Wally Lamb.
About the Author
Mary McDonagh Murphy is an independent documentary director and writer whose work has appeared on PBS. For twenty years she was a producer at CBS News, where she won six Emmy Awards. She has written for Newsweek, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Post, and Publishers Weekly. A native of Rhode Island, Murphy is a graduate of Wesleyan University and was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University. She lives in Scarborough, New York, with her husband, Bob Minzesheimer, and their two children.