To Kill a Mockingbird

Some times in church, it seems as though the pastor is talking directly to you and to you alone.  This book gave me similar feelings. I found so many ways in which I could relate to the story and its characters that it almost seemed as if the book was custom tailored just for me.  

Let me try and share a little of my life background to demonstrate why I connected with this book so well.  First, I grew up in a small town in west Texas. Knowing almost everyone in your hometown is something that I have always considered normal.  I have a sister four years younger than me, and my parents divorced when I was young. I have a vivid memory of them being together, but I was young and didn’t understand much. After the divorce, I lived with my dad and later on my step-mom joined.

I always felt a stronger connection to my dad and viewed him as the parent to look up too. When I was young, I always had tons of questions and used my dad similarly to how most people use Google. To me, my dad was omniscient.  Whatever he said was right and whatever he did was the right thing to do.

Although my dad wasn’t a lawyer, he did participate in city politics and had a job that was under a lot of public scrutiny.  He served on the town school board for a couple of years which turned out to be a turbulent time in my life. During his term, he got involved in a heated issue in which the school board was accused of racism.  A racial group targeted my dad in their attacks.  During one particular school board meeting, an anonymous caller informed the police that bombs had been placed in each school board member’s car and home. Luckily, it was an empty threat. A few weeks later, my dad found bricks laying in our front yard; an apparent miss at the target windows.

Thus, it is easy to see how I relate to Scout and Jem. How they handled the situation with their father was something that is easily relatable as well. Neither child ever doubted that their father was doing the right thing.  They were obviously proud of their father while at the same time fearing for him. I felt similar during the situation with my own dad. I knew his heart and I knew that he was not racist.

I know it’s a bold statement and perhaps a little cliché, but I will fully admit that To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books of all time, possibly even my absolute favorite. The book left me with a great message, a sense of nostalgia, and deep connection with its characters.