LOS ANGELES: To Kill a Mockingbird, a coming-of-age story about racism and injustice, overpowered wizards and time travellers to be voted America’s best-loved novel by readers nationwide.

The 1960 book by Harper Lee emerged as No 1 in PBS’ “The Great American Read” survey, whose results were announced on Wednesday on the show’s finale. More than four million votes were cast in the six-month-long contest that put 100 titles to the test. Books that were published as a series counted as a single entry.

The other top-five finishers in order of votes were Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series about a time-spanning love; J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter boy wizard tales; Jane Austen’s romance Pride and Prejudice; and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings fantasy saga.

Turns out the contest was a Mockingbird runaway. “The novel started out at No. 1 on the first day of the vote, and it never wavered,” series host Meredith Vieira said.

Set in the 1930s South, the book centers on attorney Finch and his young children, daughter Scout and son Jem. When Finch defends an African-American man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman, the trial and its repercussions open Scout’s eyes to the world around her, good and bad.

The 100-book list voted on by readers was based on an initial survey of about 7,000 Americans, with an advisory panel of experts organising the list. Books had to have been published in English but not written in the language, and one book or series per author was allowed. Bookworms could vote once daily for their favourite work.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2018

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