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Following the announcement that she will publish a new book this summer, 鈥�To Kill a Mockingbird鈥� writer Harper Lee has released a statement:

"I鈥檓 alive and kicking and happy as hell with the reactions to 鈥榌Go Set a] Watchman.鈥欌��

A spokesperson for her publisher, HarperCollins, also released a , saying, 鈥淗arper Lee still enjoys reading and uses a magnifying machine from the New York Institute for the Blind to read books, newspapers, and documents.鈥�

The second statement refers to that Lee is experiencing problems with her eyesight and hearing.聽

Lee's publisher聽announced earlier this week that she will be releasing a new book, the first since the publication of the classic book 鈥淢ockingbird,鈥� which follows Alabama resident Scout Finch and her experiences as her lawyer father Atticus defends an African-American man in a rape case.

In a statement, Lee said that she had first written 鈥淲atchman,鈥� which follows Scout as an adult.聽

鈥淚 thought it a pretty decent effort,鈥� the author said of the novel in a statement. 鈥淢y editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout's childhood in [鈥淲atchman鈥漖, persuaded me to write a novel from the point of view of the young Scout. I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told. I hadn't realized it (the original book) had survived, so was surprised and delighted when my dear friend and lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it. After much thought and hesitation, I shared it with a handful of people I trust and was pleased to hear that they considered it worthy of publication. I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years.鈥�

Lee鈥檚 editor Hugh Van Dusen told the website that 鈥渢he book was in either a safe deposit box or a bank vault, and it was wrapped in a manuscript of聽To Kill a Mockingbird聽and nobody noticed it for all these years. Her lawyer, Tonja Carter, who is also Nelle's very close friend, was apparently looking through this safety deposit box and found [鈥楪o Set a Watchman鈥橾. I guess she then went to her friend [and] said,聽what it is this?鈥澛�

Marja Mills, an author who became acquainted with Lee and her sister Alice and wrote a book, 鈥淭he Mockingbird Next Door,鈥� about her time with them, told the Monitor, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 likely that there certainly were earlier chapters she had written or just earlier pages and versions done well before 'To Kill a Mockingbird' became 'To Kill a Mockingbird'鈥�. She certainly wrote a lot before 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was ever published, so I don鈥檛 know.鈥澛�

Mills added that she had 鈥渟ome concerns about the timing鈥� of the book鈥檚 publication. Lee鈥檚 sister Alice, who was a lawyer and, according to Mills, was in charge of much of Lee鈥檚 business, died this past November.