As I sit in a barely comfortable seat, squished into a wall (thanks to the lovely passenger next to me taking up the entirety of the arm rest between us) and over 10,000 feet in the air, I am perfectly and completely content. Why? Because resting in my hands are the full 278 pages of Harper Lee’s "Go Set A Watchmen." The book has been sitting above my bed in my room since this summer when my grandfather gave it to me for my birthday in August. I hadn’t touched it, or better yet thought about the book, until yesterday -- when I discovered Harper Lee had passed away at the age of 89.
The devastation I felt after hearing the news of her death was surprising. I didn’t realize the impact her words had on me growing up. I never thought of how I had taken the stories of Atticus Finch, Scout, and Boo Radley with me since tenth grade when I was introduced to them and their little town of Maycomb resting in the deep heart of Alabama.
"To Kill A Mockingbird" always will be one of my favorite books. The life lessons that Harper Lee taught to anyone who picked up a copy had the ability to stay with readers long after they had read the last page. She taught us about love, about loyalty, and the importance of holding strong to your own beliefs, even if those beliefs aren’t shared with anyone else. Harper Lee taught us to be true to ourselves.
If you don’t know the author I am referring to, then I am deeply saddened you haven’t had the joy of experiencing one of her novels. However, here’s a little background information on Harper Lee. Ms. Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She received the Pulitzer Prize for her acclaimed novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird," as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her most recently published book, "Go Set A Watchman," was written in the 1950’s but was only recently published after the manuscript of the story was accidentally found. The story takes place nearly two decades after the timeframe of "To Kill A Mockingbird" but follows the same characters in the same small town of Maycomb.
"Go Set A Watchman" has been given mix reviews. Some acclaim Ms. Lee’s writing while others are disappointed with its outcome. Personally, I loved every word. Not necessarily because the story was absolutely brilliant but because there is something truly remarkable about reading the immortal words of a deceased writer. I believe that is why writers choose to write. Everyone wants to be remembered for something, and every word written down is everlasting. As humans, we last a simple lifetime while our words live on forever. Harper Lee gave me, gave us, this book to forever hold in our hearts.
Harper Lee will be missed but we will always have her words. We have her lessons to take with us. We have her to thank for teaching us that judgment of others is never the answer.
So, thank you, Harper Lee. Because of you, up here 10,000 away from the world, nothing has ever seemed so clear to me.
