'The Mockingbird Next Door,' a portrait of author Harper Lee, garners critical praise
There are few American novels as beloved as Harper Lee鈥檚 1960 book 鈥�To Kill A Mockingbird,鈥� which follows a young girl named Scout, living in 1930s Alabama, whose father, lawyer Atticus Finch, defends an African-American man against accusations of rape.
So Marja Mills鈥檚 book 鈥淭he Mockingbird Next Door,鈥� which chronicles the Chicago Tribune journalist鈥檚 acquaintance with Lee, was bound to attract at least interest, since Lee often turns down media interviews. But Mills's book, which will be released on July 15, has also received many positive reviews so far.
Both the Monitor and Amazon placed the book on 鈥渂est of July鈥� lists, with our staff calling the book 鈥渁n affectionate portrait 鈥� of one of the least known yet most beloved of all American authors.鈥� Meanwhile, Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson called it is 鈥渁 very gentle, lovely book.鈥澛�
Meanwhile, writer Charles Finch helped explain readers鈥� great interest in the story of the journalist who moved in next door to Lee. 鈥淎nyone who's been an eighth-grader in this country since 1960, millions upon millions of us, probably remembers reading at least some of the story,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭here is almost nothing 鈥� much less another work of art 鈥� that so many of us have in common.鈥�
Finch called the book 鈥溌燼 thoughtful, sweet-tempered, witty piece of work 鈥� a winning, nuanced portrait.鈥澛�
found the book to be 鈥済entle [and] loving 鈥� [a] charming portrait,鈥� while Library Journal writer Maggie Knapp of Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth, Tex. called the book 鈥渉ighly readable.鈥�
And reporter Heller McAlpin wrote that the book is 鈥渟ympathetic and respectful鈥�. [B]ut [it] is no sycophantic puff piece." She also called the book, "warm yet wistful.鈥�
