Harper Lee, whose debut novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, immortalized her name with its story of justice and race in a small Southern town and became a classic of American literature, has died. She was 89-years-old. The author’s death was confirmed Friday by the City Hall in Monroeville, Alabama, where she lived.
Lee, or Nelle as she was known to those close to her, had lived for several years in a nursing home less than a mile from the house in which she had grown up in Monroeville, Alabama – the setting for the fictional Maycomb of her famous 1961 book.
In a statement, Lee’s family said, “The family of Nelle Harper Lee, of Monroeville, Alabama, announced today, with great sadness, that Ms. Lee passed away in her sleep early this morning. Her passing was unexpected. She remained in good basic health until her passing. The family is in mourning and there will be a private funeral service in the upcoming days, as she had requested.”
Added nephew Hank Conner in the statement, “This is a sad day for our family. America and the world knew Harper Lee as one of the last century’s most beloved authors. We knew her as Nelle Harper Lee, a loving member of our family, a devoted friend to the many good people who touched her life, and a generous soul in our community and our state. We will miss her dearly.”
Her literary agent Andrew Nurnberg said in a statement: “We have lost a great writer, a great friend and a beacon of integrity.”
Until last year, Lee had been something of a one-book literary wonder. A second novel had been discovered which was published as Go Set a Watchman in July 2015.
