Harper Lee: What We Know About Surprise 'Mockingbird' Sequel

Harper Lee wrote "Go Set a Watchman" in the 1950s.

ByABC News
February 3, 2015, 12:22 PM

— -- "To Kill A Mockingbird" fans were shocked today to learn its author, Harper Lee, has another book coming out.

"Go Set a Watchman," the Pulitzer Prize-winning author's second novel, will be released on July 14, the Associated Press reported.

Here is what we know about the surprising sequel:

When was it written?

Lee wrote "Go Set a Watchman" in the 1950s. According to a statement issued by HarperCollins, the book's publisher, Lee said, "It features the character known as Scout as an adult woman, and I thought it a pretty decent effort. My editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout's childhood, persuaded me to write... from the point of view of the young Scout."

In "Go Set a Watchman," Scout returns to Maycomb, Alabama to visit her father, Atticus, where she is, "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," Lee's statement added.

How long is it?

The publisher says the 304-page long book will be released as originally written, without revisions.

How many copies will be printed?

Two million copies are slated to be released.

Will it be available on electronic devices?

It will. Just last year, Lee allowed "To Kill a Mockingbird" to be released as an e-book.

"To Kill a Mockingbird," which was released in 1960, has sold over 40 million copies and is practically a must-read for every middle school or high school student. It was also made into a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.