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Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.

This classic tells a story that tackles racism without ever sounding bitter or preachy. But there’s a lot more to it than that. Told from the viewpoint of a young child, it’s able to use that innocence, pure sense of justice, and the ability to see through hypocrisy and B.S. The book maintains a tenderness that is rarely seen.

Pre-conceptions are everywhere in the book. Almost every family clan comes with a “That’s just their way�� explanation. People have assumptions about Boo Radley. Scout experiences a preview of Tom’s injustice when her uncle assumes her guilt. The first-grade teacher has assumptions about what 6-year-olds should be like. It’s almost impossible for people to accept it when an assumption is proven wrong.

I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.

I’m told you have to be from the South to really, really get it. I don’t know about that, but it’s a beautiful story with plain yet powerful writing. It’s a prize among American classics.

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.


P.S. Audio narration by Sissy Spacek is very well done.