Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harper Lee died on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, while sleeping warmly in her bed. She was 89-years-old. Her first novel, perhaps one of the most well-known books across the nation, “To Kill a Mockingbird” has sold over 40 million copies worldwide. Lee wrote her book about the racial problems and injustices that were taking place in small town Alabama. Using characters like Jem and Scout, whose innocence and pure hearts touched the heart of everyone that turned those pages.
Her writings were more than just simple words on a page, they taught so many lessons to so many people. In 2006, Lee wrote a letter to an 8-year-old boy stating, “As you grow up, always tell the truth, do no harm to others, and don’t think you are the most important being on earth.” And that is exactly how she tried to leave each and every day. She lived her life with modesty and as much privacy as she could. “It is better to be silent than to be a fool,” she once said after being asked to speak at the induction of the Alabama Academy of Honor.
Her final published work, “Go Set a Watchman,” was released in 2015. This book alludes to Scout’s view on her father and the place she grew up in, taking place 20 years after the events of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
The almost instant success of Harper Lee is quite inspirational, especially for those wanting to pursue a career in writing. A thank you from many hearts is sent to Lee and a final goodbye to the most brilliant mockingbird this world has known.
