Regarded as a masterpiece of American literature,this timeless story of growing up in the South became an instant bestseller when first published in 1960 and later was made into a classic film.Through the eyes of young Scout Finch,one of the most endearing and enduring charactersof Southern literature,Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and classin the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice,violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet h eroism of one mans struggle for justice.