Harper Lee, the legendary and fiercely private author whose 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird became one of the most beloved and influential works in American literature, died Friday at the age of 89.Her nephew, Hank Conner, confirmed that Ms. Lee passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Meadows of Monroeville, the assisted-living facility where she had lived in recent years.
Born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Lee published only one novel during the main arc of her career—a book that sold more than 40 million copies, won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and was translated into over 40 languages. To Kill a Mockingbird, told through the eyes of young Scout Finch and anchored by the moral clarity of her father Atticus, remains a cornerstone of school curricula and a touchstone for discussions about race, justice, and empathy in America.
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Despite worldwide acclaim, Lee famously retreated from public life after the book’s success, giving few interviews and declining most honors. She returned to Monroeville and lived quietly among childhood friends and family, politely but firmly guarding her privacy for decades.
In 2015, the controversial publication of Go Set a Watchman—an earlier draft featuring an adult Scout and a more complicated Atticus—reignited global interest, though Lee herself made no public comment following its release.
Reaction to the news poured in quickly: Alabama Governor Kay Ivey ordered flags at the state capitol lowered to half-staff, calling Lee “the quiet conscience of Alabama and of our nation.”The American Library Association noted that To Kill a Mockingbird has appeared on its list of the 100 most-banned or challenged books almost every year since 1990—yet remains among the most-read novels in U.S. classrooms.
Monroeville officials say the town’s historic courthouse, which inspired the trial scenes in the novel and now serves as the Monroe County Heritage Museum, will open its doors free to the public this weekend so visitors can pay their respects.
Funeral services will be private, in keeping with Ms. Lee’s lifelong wishes. No public memorial events have been announced at this time.
Harper Lee is survived by several nieces and nephews. Her literary legacy—one extraordinary novel that changed the way millions think about courage and fairness—will endure for generations to come.