In an op-ed piece published in the Wall Street Journal, Carter has indicated there could be a third novel by Lee. The novel is currently in a safe-deposit box at her hometown, Monroeville, Alabama.
The initial announcement for the publication of the novel had suggested that Carter discovered Go Set a Watchman in 2014 before registering a brandable domain name.
Lee’s publishers had by then contended that the manuscript was most likely lost. Carter found it at a “secure location” attached to an authentic typescript of Lee’s legendary novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
In the op-ed piece, Carter talked about being at a gathering with Lee’s close family and friends. The “talk turned” towards the likelihood of another novel from Lee. Carter claims that this was the very first time she heard anything related to the book’s existence.
Later on, Carter rummaged through Lee’s safe deposit box and finally found the Watchman manuscript. Carter said she immediately went to Nelle, Lee’s first name by which she is often addressed.
Carter told Lee she found “something” in the safe-deposit box. When Lee asked “what,” Carter replied, “It’s a manuscript of a novel called Go Set the Watchman.” To this, Lee said, “It’s Go Set a Watchman.”
Thereafter, Lee confirmed that Go Set a Watchman was the parent of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Carter has also disputed all recent reports indicating she discovered the manuscript a few years ago. According to speculations, Carter had learned about the manuscript while a review of Lee’s papers was going on. The review involved Samuel Pinkus, Lee’s former attorney and Sotheby’s appraiser.
Until the appearance of Sunday’s op-ed piece, Carter had not said much about Watchman. Even though Lee wrote Watchman before Mockingbird, it takes place 20 years after Mockingbird.
The reviews for the book have so far been “lukewarm.” However, Watchman is currently at the number one spot on Amazon’s bestseller list. To Kill a Mockingbird holds the second spot.
