I just finished rereading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. If you have not read it (or if you just read it–or the Cliff Notes about it!–to pass a test in high school), I recommend you take a day or two to read it. It really is the best book I have ever read. (Sometimes I wonder if the desire of high school educators to expose students to the classics of modern literature actually turns them away from books that could have otherwise impacted their lives in profound ways–but that is another post!)
The book is about a family in South Alabama whose father defends a black man in a trial brought on by the false accusations of a low-class white family. Its subversive way of attacking the racism that was so prevalent in the deep South is truly remarkable–especially when you consider the fact that it was written before the Civil Rights movement. Every single plot and subplot brings you back to one simple truth: the lives of all people are of equal value; we are not as different as it may seem.
If you are looking for a book that will challenge your ideas about racism, prejudice, and the ever-so-PC concepts of equality and fairness, this is the book for you. See, this is just another example of great things coming from South Alabama!
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