Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb (Images of America: Alabama) [Paperback]

Monroe County Heritage Museums (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 1999

For 39 years, people from all over the world and all walks of life have come to the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, in search of a place called Maycomb. They come in search of a story that have moved millions of people with its enduring message, and in search of the world of the storyteller. Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb explores the relationship between Harper Lee's hometown and the setting of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Born in response to the curiosities of visitors to the Monroe County Heritage Museums, this book explores the parallels between the tow worlds through vintage images and informative captions. Included are photographs of the Lee family and the author in her early years; the sights of Monroeville that undoubtedly inspired the setting of Maycomb; the cast of the Oscar-winning film adaptation that premiered in 1963; and the Mockingbird Players, a group of Monroeville residents who, each year in May, present an authentic production of the two-act play adapted by Christopher Sergel. Among the visitors to Monroeville are teachers and lawyers making a pilgrimage to Atticus' courtroom, scholars in search of unanswered questions, and fans of the novel trying to capture a glimpse of Scout's world. The Monroe County Heritage Museums, under the direction of Kathy McCoy, made this possible in 1991 with the opening of the Old Courthouse Museum on the town square. Visitors now leave Monroeville feeling as if they walked the streets of Maycomb on a hot summer day, enchanted by the imagined presence of Sout, Jem, and Dill exploring their neighborhood in an era of tumultuous change.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In this unique photographic tribute to one of the greatest novels of our time, readers will discover the world of Harper Lee and the inspiration for her story. Compiled by the staff of the Monroe County Heritage Museums, Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb is a valuable resource for those studying the book as well as a cherished treasure for its millions of fans.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (September 20, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738502049
• ISBN-13: 978-0738502045
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,066,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for all Mockingbird fans!!, April 12, 2001

By 

"missduvy" (Bowling Green, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb (Images of America: Alabama) (Paperback)

While on a trip to the beach, I stopped off in Monroeville to visit the Mockingbird shrine. While there, I bought this book at the museum and was SO excited about the information that was found in it. There are so many similarities between the fictional Maycomb and the Monroeville in which Nelle Harper Lee grew up! For example, Monroeville, like Maycomb, had a strange citizen who got into trouble with the law when he was young and was locked up in his house by his father for years. This young man was never seen outside his house again and was considered a phantom by the town children, including Nelle Lee. The book will be a delight to all fans of the novel. I also strongly recommend a trip to Monroeville -- it will be well worth the time and effort for any true fan.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Every Mockingbird Fan, April 9, 2009

By 

Monica Helton (Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb (Images of America: Alabama) (Paperback)

When I was growing up in Monroeville, I cared little about the history of my town or state. I read "To Kill A Mockingbird" and I loved it, but to me history was as far from Monroeville and Alabama as I could get. Years later after I grew up and came to my senses I learned to love the history of my town and state. "Monroeville The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb," is a must for the diehard Mockingbird fan. Like its companion book "Monroeville Literary Capital of Alabama" it has lots of pictures and a short history of the town that was the childhood home of Harper Lee and her friend Turman Capote, who was the model for Dill in "Mockingbird." Included in the book is a chapter "The Mysterious Neighbor" about the man who was the real life "Boo Radley" in town. Like his fictional counterpart, he spent his life hidden away in his house and was the terror of the Monroe Elementary School whose grounds were behind his house. Like the children in the book, when my mother was a small child, she said that any ball kicked into his yard was considered a lost ball. The pecans that fell into the school grounds from trees in his yard were never touched by the children. There are also pictures of the Mockingbird Players who perform the play based on the book every year at the Monroe County Heritage Museum. The museum which once served as the Monroe County Courthouse, contains the courtroom which was used as the model for the courtroom in the 1962 movie version of the book starring Gregory Peck. Both books are recommended for anyone who wants to know more about the small town in southwest Alabama that gave birth to two of the most remarkable writers of the 20th century.