To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is my favorite book of all time. I read around 100 books every year, and none have dethroned my favorite (although Taylor Jenkins Reid’s newest book, Atmosphere, was close).
Harper Lee grew up in Monroeville, AL, and when we planned our AL trip earlier in the year, I knew we had to stop here. I’ve wondered how she wrote such a story as a white girl in the 1950’s. I knew it was heavily autobiographical fiction, but I wanted to learn more, see deeper into her life and influences.
Her father was a lawyer, and despite being a relative of General Lee, he defended two Black men accused of murdering a white store owner in the early 1900’s. This is where Atticus Finch grew from. The old courthouse where her father practiced, and later they filmed the movie, is now the Monroe County Museum, which is primarily dedicated to Harper Lee.
The main area of the museum is FULL of information about Harper Lee, the similarities between her fictional Maycomb and the real Monroeville, and what it was like filming the movie there. They even had Boo Radley’s tree!
I bought a new copy of To Kill a Mockingbird on the way out, with a special stamp you can only get at the museum, and had to sit on the Celebration of Reading sculpture outside of the courthouse with it.
The museum is the only real draw for Harper Lee fans. The home she lived in now a drive-thru burger and shake joint, and Truman Capote’s house burned down, just a plaque and some rubble left.
There are also a couple Mockingbird murals, which we caught on the way in. Overall, it’s a small town, with a population around 5,700. Considering the size, they did an excellent job of sharing and honoring the life of their most famous resident, Harper Lee. If you’re a fan like me, you won’t be disappointed.
We went back in March but I’m posting this, quite fittingly, on my 42nd birthday! We just landed in Portland, OR, for a BIG five-week trip! Stay tuned for all the details or give me a follow on IG @pattileobath!