This week, the long-awaited sequel to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird hits bookshelves. Since it was announced, questions were raised about Lee's involvement in the release of this book. But now the conversation has changed to the content of the book. A New York Times review reveals the much beloved character of Atticus Finch was a racist during the Brown v. Board of Education era of the 1950s.
Also on Tuesday, Ta-Nehisi Coates' book-length letter to his teenage son will be released. He first held his new book in NPR's New York studios last week. "I'm trying not to cry," he said. Between the World and Me discusses the physical consequences of being black in America.
This hour, we also discuss a book that has already been released but is making headlines because of its sales numbers. The book written by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz failed to hit the New York Times bestseller list because of "strategic bulk purchases."
GUESTS:
- Gene Seymour - Freelance culture critic, writer, and occasional contributor to CNN.com, BookForum, and The Nation
- Dylan Byers - Media reporter at POLITICO
- Julia Pistell - Writer, comedian, and co-host of the book podcast Literary Disco
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
