Harper Lee wrote only one book, "To Kill A Mockingbird" but, it had the power and punch of a double barreled shotgun, and garnered the Pulitzer Prize. The story is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, which is patterned after Harper's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. It's a tale of Atticus Finch, a widower and attorney who is to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of assault and rape of a young white girl. All seen through the eyes of Finch's tomboy daughter Scout, who relates the story that includes her brother Jem, their friend, Dill, and a strange character, Boo Radley, an unlikely hero.
Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, on April 28, 1926 and just as the character Scout in her novel, Harper was a bit of a tomboy in her youth, toughing it out with the best of them. The strong figure of Atticus Finch was patterned after her father, who was a lawyer, politician and newspaper publisher. One of her close childhood friends was the future literary bon vivant, Truman Capote.
It was in high school in Monroeville that Harper became immersed in English literature, and after graduation in 1944 she attend college and became a member of the literary honor society. She was a voracious reader, and eventually began writing herself. By 1959 she had completed the manuscript for Mockingbird which won the Pulitzer Prize for literature, and was turned into a major motion picture that is still the object of study today by film historians and budding film makers.
After “Mockingbird” she helped her childhood friend, Truman work on an article for New Yorker magazine, which he later expanded into his non-fiction masterpiece about a murdered family in Kansas. She and Truman traveled to Kansas to interview the accused, attended the trial and the result was the novel “In Cold Blood”
Monroeville, located on the Southern Literary Trail halfway between Mobile and Montgomery, is hometown proud of their "Mockingbird" as you will see if you visit the Monroe County Heritage Museum. They maintain sites, and have also preserved interviews and artifacts that highlight the literary careers of both Harper Lee and Truman Capote, who was not only Harper's lifelong friend, but, was also fictionalized in "Mockingbird" as her friend Dill.
The Mockingbird Players Troupe performs a live theatrical presentation of "Mockingbird" at the outdoor amphitheater in spring attended by thousands of "Mockingbird" fans from across the country. While locals play the lead roles from Atticus to Boo Radley, members of the audience are chosen to play the roles of the jurors for the trial. You can picnic in the park across from the courthouse museum which is fully stocked with Mockingbird books, gifts and art works. As a tribute to the the father figure of “Mockingbird,” there is a statue of Atticus Finch on the south lawn of the Courthouse. It was erected in 1997 by the Alabama Bar Association.
Once you've taken in a dose of literature and history, take to the great Alabama outdoors to enjoy boating, camping, fishing and hiking and for you "duffers" you can challenge yourself to 18-holes of golf. There are a plethora of lakes and small streams in the area, including the Alabama River. It's an anglers paradise (hunting too) with campgrounds for those who choose to "rough" it in the great outdoors.
Explore Monroeville at a leisurely pace. Put the car keys away, and enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the town. Who knows, you may even run into Boo Radley on your journey, or at least one of the locals who portray him in the annual play! Whitey Lee Park is a destination that offers a short walking trail for all ages, that will take you around a five acre lake. For the botanist and rose lover, there is the Katherine Lee Rose Garden that features over 90 roses that add a fragrant touch to your outdoor exploration.
Avian art lovers will want to take wing along the Birdhouse Trail that features large birdhouses hand painted by local artists. The Birdhouse Trail is designed to showcase the artistic talents of the regions folk artists who have lovingly hand-painted these large oversized designed structures and are placed throughout the county. All materials for the project are literally “home-grown” from local area forests, which is only appropriate as Monroe County is one of most forested of all Alabama counties.
Not only do they have the oversized birdhouses all over town, but, they also have some smaller ones, also locally designed and built, and hand-painted by area artists. Each is an original work of art. The small birdhouses retail for $140 each which includes tax, and any funds raised from the project revert to a revolving art fund to build and hand paint more birdhouses! For more information visit the “Birdhouse” website at http://www.monroevillebirdhouses.com/
In nearby Beatrice, you can visit the Rikard's Mill that will take you back to the days when grist mills were fully functioning and water powered. It's a great spot for walking and education for the whole family along Flat Creek surrounded by a woodland setting. You can watch folk traditions that have been preserved including cane syrup making. Enjoy a picnic in a pastoral setting as there are many picnic tables to relax and enjoy a meal in the outdoors, There is the obligatory gift shop that carry many period items, cane syrup and one of my Southern favorites..Grits!
Monroeville hosts many festivals throughout the year, including the massive Alabama River Festival in early spring, set up as an early 1800's camp complete with frontiersmen, Indians, and a healthy plateful of entertainment, and what the South is famous for...FOOD!
If you've never seen, "Fried Green Tomatoes" many of the restaurants excel at this Southern delicacy along with shrimp and grits. Food experience with a literary flavor can be had at two restaurants named from the pages of Harper Lee's book. The Mockingbird Grill and Radley's Fountain Grille.
Lodging options include chain motels, local motels, and charming bed and breakfasts, such as the Mary Elizabeth Stallworth House, and the Loft Bed and Breakfast just minutes from downtown, and there are plenty of spots to pull that rig in for a rest at RV parks and to pitch a tent at a campground to enjoy the majestic beauty of the area.
Got Spa? Just 30 minutes from Monroeville you can get pampered at the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel in nearby Atmore.
It's time to hit the Southern Literary Trail and remember to “kill a mockingbird is a sin” but to miss a visit to Monroeville, Alabama would be a crime! For more information on the Heritage Museum visit their website at http://www.tokillamockingbird.com/