Given the eminence of her novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” a modern American classic, it is surprising how little has been written regarding its author, Harper Lee. This renders Kerry Madden’s biography a joy to those who, like myself, both love and revere this novel, and the film made there-from.
Perhaps the dearth of knowledge regarding Ms. Lee is rooted, in part, in her lack of self-publicity. While glad of the recognition her book received, she seems to have lacked the egoism of other such writers.
Prior to writing this work, she had helped fellow writer Truman Capote in researching his book In Cold Blood. She seems to have had a deep interest in crime and its consequences.
The performance of actor Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a lawyer defending a falsely accused Afro-American man, did much towards enhancing public knowledge of this book. Later, when Peck was asked why he had not played such roles after that, he said it was because Harper Lee had not written more books.
Many have wondered why she became what some authors are unjustly dubbed “one book writers”. Apparently, despite her success, her later efforts were not welcomed by potential publishers. Still, she does not seem to have become disheartened. As Kerry Madden points out, Harper Lee said what she wished to say in one book. She did not sink into the tempting quicksand of repetition which absorbs some authors. Hence, she left humankind one exquisite gem of achievement.
