Harper Lee, whose first novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” about racial injustice in a small Alabama town, sold more than 30 million copies and became one of the most beloved and most taught works of fiction ever written by an American, has died. She was 89.
The news was confirmed by the mayor’s office in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.
The beloved Alabama novelist has died only a few months after the sequel to the famous To Kill a Mockingbird book was published. To Kill a Mockingbird, which was a huge critical and commercial success and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Everyone offered their tribute on twitter
RIP Harper Lee
— E L James (@E_L_James) February 19, 2016
RIP Harper Lee. You made me believe in the power of story.
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) February 19, 2016
Rest in peace Harper Lee. Thank you for changing my life as a boy. And now opening the eyes of my son. #ToKillaMockingbird one for the ages.
— Leland Orser (@LelandOrser) February 19, 2016
When great writers die, they are also survived by unforgettable characters they’ve created.
RIP Harper Lee. Survived by Atticus, Scout & Boo— Aisha Sultan (@AishaS) February 19, 2016
RIP Harper Lee, 89. Author of one of the greatest books ever written. #ToKillAMockingBird
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 19, 2016
Rest in peace, Harper Lee. “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 19, 2016
Characters make their own plot. The dimensions of the characters determine the action of the novel.
HARPER LEE#RIP pic.twitter.com/IspfbHWFQQ— Jon Winokur (@AdviceToWriters) February 19, 2016
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” RIP Harper Lee
— Sierra Club (@sierraclub) February 19, 2016
RIP Harper Lee, and thank you for teaching 8th grade me about how everyone should be treated.
— Coach Reale (@Tim_Reale) February 19, 2016