BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The “Go Set a Watchman” release date on July 14 was a historic literary event in and of itself, but it was also a history making day for Books-A-Million. The number of Harper Lee’s new publication purchases in one day broke the Adult Fiction title first day sales record for the Alabama based company. With midnight openings in select stores the evening of July 13, special collectors editions for sale and launch party events throughout Alabama, Books-A-Million welcomed the historic literary event with enthusiasm and the record-breaking sales matched the excitement.
“If there were any worthy book that could break a record like this for Books-A-Million, Harper Lee’s new publication is undoubtedly the one,” said Terry Finley, president and chief executive officer at Books-A-Million. “‘Go Set a Watchman’ gives us a very different perspective from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ of where our world was during that time period and I think it’s an important perspective.”
Harper Lee fans lined up at select stores throughout Alabama for a chance to be the first ones to hold a copy of “Go Set a Watchman.” Fans were both excited and anxious to read the book after early reviews stated that Atticus Finch was portrayed differently than he was in Harper Lee’s first American Classic, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Michelle Brown, a fan that read the first chapter of “Go Set a Watchman” and waited in line at the Brookwood Books-A-Million in Birmingham said that Atticus’ character in the new publication “was a shock.” “I won’t say it upset me, but it surprised me a little bit,” said Brown. “To me, it just says that no one is perfect.”
As many readers and reviews have pointed out, the difference in character portrayal between books is most likely because “To Kill a Mockingbird” is told from the point of view of Scout, Atticus’ daughter, when she was a child, whereas in “Go Set a Watchman” Scout’s point of view is based on her life 20 years later.
“Go Set a Watchman” follows the story of Scout Finch, one of the featured characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In the recently discovered novel, Scout has returned to visit her father in Lee’s Maycomb, Alabama, 20 years after the events that took place in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Now an adult woman, Scout’s recollections of her childhood constituted the foundation for “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
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Books-A-Million, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading book retailers and sells on the Internet at www.booksamillion.com. The Company presently operates 255 stores in 32 states and the District of Columbia. Included in the Company’s retail operations is the operation of Yogurt Mountain Holding, LLC, a retailer and franchisor of self-serve frozen yogurt stores with 42 locations. The Company also develops and manages commercial real estate investments through its subsidiary, Preferred Growth Properties, which presently include four retail shopping centers. The common stock of Books-A-Million, Inc. is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol BAMM. For more information, visit the Company’s corporate website at www.booksamillioninc.com.
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