‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Author Harper Lee Dies

The author of one of the most beloved books in American history - 'To Kill a Mockingbird' - has died. Nelle Harper Lee was 89 years old, and was a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for her 1960 classic, based on her childhood in Monroeville, Alabama. Only last year did the world find out that she had written another book, after years of thinking that 'Mockingbird' was her one and only novel. It remains in print, has sold over 30 million copies in English, and has been translated into more than 40 languages. It still sells over a million copies a year, with a book in virtually every school in America. Her life long friendship with author Truman Capote was legendary, and it is said that he was the inspiration for her character 'Dill' in her book. The book was later turned into an Academy Award winning film in 1963, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.

Lee has been somewhat of a recluse, shying away from publicity, even after the publication of 'Go Set a Watchman' last year. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 by President George Bush, and remained a beloved member of her Alabama community, as well as the world, until the end. Tributes and memorials are pouring in from actors, authors, and just regular people who were permanently changed by her words.