Nelle Harper Lee

Freddy and I had a marvelous time last at the Vestavia Hills Public Library listening to a talk by Charles Shields, author of a biography of Harper Lee. This is a great intellectual experience, for this author was brilliant in talking about Harper Lee and her great novel.

The author was especially good in talking about how the novel came about. Harper Lee worked for several years on the book with the indispensable help of a New York editor. While writing the novel, she worked as an agent for Eastern Airlines in New York. Luckily for us, she finished the book and the rest is reading history.

The author was also especially good in talking about the real-life characters in Harper Lee's life from which she drew the main characters of the book. The original title of To Kill a Mockingbird was Atticus. The book is a tribute to her father, A.C. Lee.

If you have not read this great novel, shame on you! I plan to read it for the third time after hearing this inspiring talk.