Well…..what can I say? This is so obviously a book that was really not intended for publication. Lee’s decision to go back to the drawing board and start again was the right decision. This is not To Kill a Mockingbird, and has some serious flaws. However, I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to read it and I really enjoyed spending time with these wonderful characters. It’s an honest book, with a more realistic portrayal of how folk balance living day to day with leading an ‘authentic’ life, and staying true to their ethical beliefs. There is a truly shocking moment towards the end which I found very disturbing - no more details as I don’t want to spoil the reading for you.
So I’ve given it 3 stars, because we know what Harper Lee is capable of….To Kill a Mockingbird is close to perfection…..this was just a warm up exercise.