The Land of Sweet Forever

When To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the summer of 1960, it seemed to have sprung from nowhere, like an Alabamian Athena: a perfectly formed novel from an unknown southern writer without any evident precedent or antecedent. ... But no writer is without influences and aspirations: Harper Lee had, of course, come from somewhere and worked tremendously hard to become someone. ... How thrilling, then, to encounter a time capsule from the start of Lee's career ... help[ing] to explain how the little girl from South Alabama Avenue turned herself into a bestselling author. ... Brilliance unleashed on the page. * Guardian * Previously unseen short stories shed fresh light on Harper Lee's unlikely rise to fame * Guardian * Eight neatly typed short stories by the To Kill a Mockingbird author ... cast a new light on the literary giant * Sunday Times * Previously unseen stories and essays reveal Harper Lee's sharp wit, southern roots, and evolving voice. From small-town Alabama to big-city life, this posthumous collection offers a new window into one of America's literary icons. * i Paper * Harper Lee's wry humor is on ample display * Los Angeles Times * Allow[s] us to see the before and after of a literary sensation * i Paper * There's a sweetness of tone in the stories. I came away from reading this thinking I would have liked to know her. -- Tom Sutcliffe, BBC Radio 4 Front Row There's a joy and simplicity in the way she writes -- Christina Newland, BBC Radio 4 Front Row