Harper Lee and her publishing company, HarperCollins, announced on February 3 that Lee would be publishing a sequel of sorts to her classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird this summer.

“This is a remarkable literary event,” HarperCollins senior vice president Jonathan Burnham said in a statement. “The existence of Go Set a Watchman was unknown until recently, and its discovery is an extraordinary gift to the many readers and fans of To Kill a Mockingbird.”

The novel will be the author’s second piece and was uncovered last year by Lee’s longtime friend and lawyer Tonja Carter. Watchman will be published largely unedited.

In a press release from HarperCollins, Lee’s publishing company, it was publicly announced that the book is about Jean Louise Finch (also known as Scout) and her return to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama.

The press release also stated that Scout will be “forced to grapple with issues both personal and political as she tries to understand her father’s attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place where she was born and spent her childhood.”

“I’m curious to see in which direction Harper Lee goes with the second book,” MHS English teacher Mrs. Christina Starr said, “along with the [shift in focus] from childhood innocence [to] adult corruption in society.”

The announcement was met with controversy due to allegations of elder abuse by HarperCollins, largely due to the decision to publish Watchman in light of Lee’s declining health and the death of her sister, Alice Lee, just months prior.

However, an investigation by the Alabama Securities Commission (ASC) found that Harper Lee was fully aware of the decision to publish the book, and was even excited to discuss it.

“It was clear to our investigators that she fully understood the questions that were being asked, that she indicated she certainly wanted her book published, and she had her opinions that were voiced during the interview,” ASC director Joseph Borg said.

In Watchman, readers will see an older rendition of Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, fueling speculation about how Scout and Atticus’ relationship would change.

Reports on CNN and Yahoo have speculated that Atticus will have a very relaxed role in this book and will be seen as someone who will be offering his wisdom to Scout more as an adviser than a parent.

However, these claims are largely baseless rumors, and others believe that Atticus will act similarly to the first novel.

“She [Scout] will always see her father for his gentleman-like qualities and she will see him as a man who accepted everyone and their views,” Mrs. Starr said.

However, she added that unlike her father, Scout would be “more modern and progressive, causing her to maybe look down on some of her family and the citizens of Maycomb as a result.”

Regardless, Burnham said in his statement that the book’s narrative would still be “compelling and ultimately moving.”

To Kill A Mockingbird is a beloved novel for all ages, and many avid fans — especially high school students who enjoyed her first novel — are eager to read her upcoming novel, which is slated for release on July 14.

“I’m looking forward to reading this new Harper Lee book very much,” senior Nikki Zizzo said. “Harper Lee is an awesome author with a diverse look on life.”

“We will order the book as soon as possible,” MHS librarian Mrs. Jill O’Connor said.

Although many details about the novel are unclear as of now, what is certain is that the entire world is eager to delve back into the world of Mockingbird.