The Legacy of Harper Lee

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”

Harper Lee grew up in a small town in Alabama, much like her well-loved To Kill a Mockingbird character, Scout. She was a Pulitzer Prize winner and she has only every published two books to her name.

What made her so great then?

Her success has led to many film adaptations and led to the use of her renowned 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird to be a taught text within high schools all over the globe. She crafted narrative with ease, using taboo topics such as race and gender boundaries to experiment with the socio-political commentary of the time of her writing. She wrote with many parallels to her own upbringing: her tomboy childhood image, her father’s work as a lawyer and a newspaper owner. Her willingness to question has always led to Lee’s ability to stand out.

In many regards she can be seen as privileged, she was a white female who was also well-educated and was award winning. However, she always strove to identify with people from all backgrounds. She wasn’t afraid to strike while the iron was hot, she quit university for her passion and due to her passion was supported full time financially by her sponsor in order to start her writing career.

The release of her second novel that was formerly part of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is ‘To go set a Watchman’ in 2015. The poignancy of the release highlights the interest still around today for her novels. Even though she has passed away she will still reach millions of teenagers and adults alike.

Please read them, they are classic, iconic and a very, very pleasing read.

R.I.P Harper Lee 1926-2016