![Harper Lee, Author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Has Died at 89](http://townsquare.media/site/757/files/2016/02/Harper-Lee.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Harper Lee, Author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Has Died at 89
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, died in her sleep Thursday night at the age of 89. Lee had been staying at an assisted-living facility called the Meadows in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.
Born in 1926, Lee was 34 years old when To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, becoming an instant hit that only grew in stature two years later when the film adaptation, starring Gregory Peck, was released. The success of the book came as a surprise to Lee, who never quite grew comfortable with her new stardom.
Though many had anticipated a follow-up work, she did not publish anything until last year's Go Set a Watchman, a sort-of sequel that used most of the same characters. It received mixed reviews, and many readers and fans doubted if Lee, who did not speak publicly about the book, had actually meant for the manuscript her agent discovered to be published at all.
In 2007 Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush, one of the infrequent public appearances she made. President Bush called To Kill a Mockingbird "a gift to the entire world." The book, a tale of Southern racism told through the eyes of 9-year-old Scout Finch, sold more than 30 million copies and remains one of the most-taught books in schools across the country.
More From 107.7 WGNA
![Enter Here For Painted Pony Rodeo Tickets](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2022/03/attachment-GettyImages-1336918.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![See The Capital Region’s 10 Best Bagel Shops [RANKED]](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2022/12/attachment-Untitled-design-67.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Capital Region Fire Truck Smashed by Vandals; Any Idea Who Did This?](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-fire-truck-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Tornados Ripped Up Parts of Upstate NY and the Videos are Wild](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-tornado-NY-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![No Kid Should Go Hungry, How to Get Free Summer Meals in Upstate New York](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-hungry-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Have You Seen Her? 16-Year-Old from Saratoga Missing Since July 1st](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-MISSING-TEEN-HAVE-YOU-SEEN-HER.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Eyewitness Claims They Saw an Alien Abduction in Upstate New York](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-alien-abduction-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Police in Albany County Investigating the Death of 2-Year-Old Boy](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-Police-Line-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![There’s a Fascinating World of Sunken Gems Deep in Lake George](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/02/attachment-treasure-lake-goerge-.jpg?w=980&q=75)