Following the release of Seeking Atticus, a debut novel inspired by Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, author Norm D’Plume shares the top 10 Atticus Finch quotes to help you find your inner Atticus:
Seeking Atticus
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This is such an important life skill and the sooner we learn this ‘trick’ the better! Instead of feeling hurt, angry or bewildered when a friend or loved one says something that sends us reeling, we have the ability, on some level at least, to see where they are coming from. This can make such a difference and could become that first important step towards a better understanding.
“Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself.” If you can’t look yourself in the eye, you can’t expect others to respect you.
“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” Even as a young child, I was aware of my conscience and soon learned that if I went against my inner voice, I would invariably feel bad. Don’t let others tell you what’s right or wrong; abide by your own values, stay true to yourself and in the words of another wise old sage ... “always let your conscience be your guide.” (Jiminy Cricket).
“There’s a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep ‘em all away from you. That’s never possible.” Our natural instinct as a parent is to try and protect our children from all the bad stuff out there but as Atticus sadly reflects, ultimately, we can’t. The rest of the animal kingdom prepare their young to face the world that’s awaiting them and teach them the skills they’ll need to survive when things turn ugly. Difficult as it is, we’d do well to take a leaf out of their book.
“Children are children, but they can spot an evasion faster than adults, and evasion simply muddles ‘em.” Kids are astonishingly astute – be as honest as you can!
“Atticus, he was real nice.” “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” Prejudging people can lead us to dislike them, without even knowing who they are! Imagine the potential friends we’ve missed because we didn’t take the time to get to know them.
“Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” Have the courage of your convictions and give it your all!
“... Hold your head high and keep those fists down. Try fighting with your head for a change.” To quote another great philosopher, “You know it makes sense!” (Del Boy Trotter).
“It’s not time to worry yet.” Another important life skill! A study has shown that 85% of what we worry about never actually happens. Maybe we should take another leaf from another book. Matthew 6:34 “...Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
“... It’s a sin to kill a Mockingbird.” Innocence is a beautiful thing. Don’t harm life’s innocents.
Set in the mid 80s, Seeking Atticus is a funny, heart-warming story that begins with a letter that finds thirty-something Olivia, living and working at a friend’s boarding kennels as she awaits the outcome of an impending court case to determine her financial settlement from her recent divorce. From one debacle to another, it is her blossoming friendship with Michael that keeps her, just about, on the right side of sanity... Michael and Atticus Finch, of course! It’s available to buy from Amazon, The Book Guild and all good bookshops.