To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1930s in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. It follows Scout Finch and her family as her lawyer father, Atticus, defends a black man, Tom Robinson, against false rape charges. Despite Atticus presenting an airtight case, prejudice results in Tom's unjust conviction. Later, Mr. Ewell seeks revenge on the Finch family but is stopped by their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. The story explores themes of racial injustice and the loss of childhood innocence.