Jun 27 2009
I Am Scout by Charles J. Shields, a review
I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in ninth grade and it has influenced me for my entire life, especially the character of Atticus Finch. And, not surprisingly, To Kill a Mockingbird is still one of the most widely read books of all time (I continue to read it at least once every six months or so!). But I never knew a whole lot about Harper Lee, the author, because she never wrote any other novels and was a complete recluse. So I was totally excited to see this book when I was browsing through the library.
Surprisingly, this book was in the young adult section and was, perhaps, one of the most serious, most well-written of the young adult biographies that I have ever read. Now, that doesn’t mean that it’s written for adults or that teens and young adults won’t get it or that they’ll be bored by it. Absolutely not! While there isn’t any fluff or sensationalistic reporting about Nelle Harper Lee’s life, it’s still a magnificent and well written, entertaining book about a wonderful, brilliant woman! He also doesn’t sugar coat things - like how Ms. Lee’s mother was so mentally ill, that she tried to kill Harper when Harper was 2 or Truman Capote’s sexuality. I learned new things in this book too - I didn’t know that Truman Capote and Harper Lee were so close or that Harper Lee had helped Truman Capote with his book - In Cold Blood.
I loved how the author was able to fully sketch Harper Lee’s life in ten short chapters, chapters that show us the striking parallels between the author’s life and To Kill a Mockingbird. This is totally worth the read!
Book 38/100
