Wayne Flynt

I have recently reread To Kill a Mockingbird and then a friend introduced me to The Mockingbird Next Door. And now here is Mockingbird Songs. You can't read too much about Harper Lee, in my opinion. This book was a compilation of the correspondence between Lee and Alabaman historian Wayne Flynt, with comments and explanations before each set of letters to explain what was being referenced. What a great way to "look into the mind, heart, and work of one of the most admired authors in modern literary history." (from the book's back cover.)… (más)

This short, compelling book is just what the cover says: the story of a friendship. It is not an in-depth analysis of To Kill A Mockingbird, nor is it a biography of Harper Lee. Rather, it is a series of vignettes of the relationship between the author, a noted Alabama historian and writer, and Ms. Lee and her two sisters. Like many such books of letters, it is easy to read and hard to put down. Flynt fills in the space between letters with details about what is happening in Lee's life and in his own. Perhaps I can say it is a Southern thing, being from Alabama myself (though having left it, like so many), but these stories of family are what is important in the relationship and what holds it together. There is also a shared sense of disgust at certain Alabama things, such as Judge Roy Moore, circa 2006. Flynt, despite being a devout Baptist, shares Lee's liberal sentiments about most things.

One reviewer said this book was more about Flynt than Lee, and given that he wrote it, I guess that is the case. Lee's letters are also filled with praise for Flynt's work, such as his history of Alabama in the 20th Century and another book about poor whites. This is not self-promotion on Flynt's part, however. Lee requested that Flynt repeat one presentation he had given on To Kill A Mockingbird as her eulogy--which he did, the day after her death at her Monroeville funeral.

So what is to be gained by reading this book? Certainly some insight into Harper Lee's character. In the earlier letters, before eye problems and a stroke limited her writing, she writes with great wit and shows a wide knowledge of literature and history. Her cutting remarks about others, her unwanted biographers in particular, but also Truman Capote, are entertaining and insightful. The reader will also gain an appreciation for Ms. Lee's remarkable sisters, especially her older sister Alice, who died in 2014 at age 103, and practiced law in Monroeville until she was 100! Mostly, you will appreciate the value of friendship, even if conducted over great distances and with infrequent meetings. It is something to treasure and hold on to.

Throughout the book, Flynt revels in letting Lee know just how popular and influential her book continues to be. I guess that is why there is an interest in books like this one. We want to know what kind of person created such a book that continues to teach us lessons to this day. It is a book you can read as a teenager and return to as an adult and still be awed by. It was created by a pretty feisty, extraordinary lady, who tried to abandon Alabama for New York City, but could never put that home behind her. Reading this book helps explain why. It is a simple, heartfelt monument to the author of To Kill a Mockingbird--one that even she would have appreciated.… (más)