I saw the movie, based on this wonderful book, the year it came out, and even at eight years old it opened my eyes to the realities of the world - as well as my own family - and set my course through life.

My father, a wonderful, kind, loving man born in 1909, was also a racist. He never tried to instill this in me or my sister directly, but his prejudices were matter-of-factly on display every waking moment. So when I saw the film (no, not with my parents - my 15 year old sister Vera took me), I immediately, and secretly, saved up my allowance and bought Harper Lee’s masterpiece. And through my teenage years, I carried that worn and dog-earred paperback with me almost everywhere I went.

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable coming-of-age tale set in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage iniquities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father — a crusading local lawyer — risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

If you’ve seen this remarkable film you might think you know this story, but until you’ve read the original book you’ve only peeked inside through a window at the remarkable - and terrifying - characters Harper Lee has given us.