To Kill a Mockingbird

My posts on books I read for fun are mostly meant to be summaries and a quick blurb on what I thought of the book. I hope they help you decide whether or not you want to read these books. Also, these are recycled from my Tumblr. I'm deciding which blog system I like better. :)


To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was not about what I thought it was about. No, I didn’t think it was about killing birds. I actually don’t really know what I thought it was about. I knew it involved a trial and racism. I did not realize it was narrated by a child. Or that a lot of it would be childhood adventures. All of these things were pluses for me.


The book is about Atticus Finch’s children growing up and how they handle the trial he is part of. Atticus is a lawyer who has to defend an African American in the south at a time when African Americans weren’t thought of very highly. He takes the case anyway because he feels it is the right thing to do and that all people are people. His children, while not racist, are confused by this concept because people in their town are criticizing their father and being rude to them.

The children, Scout (the narrator and youngest) and Jem (Jeremy), are both hilarious and awesome. Scout refuses to be a proper young lady and has some keen insights to the people around her. Jem is going through some changes as he’s growing up and learning how to be a big brother, son, and adult.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was interesting to read children’s reactions to a case that would be very - intense. I’ve read books about trials but most are from the perspective of a lawyer or adult. To read about a trial from the point of view of a lawyer’s youngest daughter (I think she’s about eight at the time of the trial) was new and excellent. It brought new insights to how families are affected by things like their parent’s jobs, especially if they involve taking an unpopular position.


Overall: Enjoyable. I loved it. It’s one of those books that doesn’t feel like it’s teaching you something while it’s teaching you something. Scout is amazing.