To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee states that despite Marja Mill’s claims of cooperation on her biography The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee ,Lee never gave approval to have a biography written about her life.
Millions of people are familiar with Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Whether forced to read it in an English class or for fun, readers have devoured the story of Scout and her father Atticus, who struggles to do what is right and defends an innocent black man against charges of rape. Though the novel was received extremely well, Harper Lee never wrote another book and has remained extremely private.
The publication of Marja Mill’s biography promised to provide some insight on the influential author with the book description on Amazon describing how Mills slowly became friends with the Harper Lee and her sister and was invited into their world and confidences. However, Harper Lee herself tells a different tale.
In a letter sent to Mary Murphy, Lee attempts to set the record straight according to Entertainment Weekly, saying in different parts of the letter that “I have not willingly participated in any book written or to be written by Marja Mills,” and “Rest assured, as long as I am alive, any book purporting to be with my cooperation is a falsehood.”
Mill’s book The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee is available on Tuesday July 15.