[Nonfiction Wednesday] Warrior Spitfire from Alabama

Myra here.

We are delighted to join the Nonfiction Picture Book meme 2019 hosted by Alyson Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy. We would also be linking our nonfiction choices with our reading themes throughout the year, when we can.

I thought it would be great to launch our new reading theme with this formidable and reclusive warrior spitfire from Alabama, and how the classic story that continue to spark discussions of social justice was born.

Alabama Spitfire: The Story Of Harper Lee And To Kill A Mockingbird

Written by Bethany Hegedus Illustrated by Erin McGuire
Published by Balzer + Bray (2018).
ISBN: 0062456709 (ISBN13: 9780062456700)
Borrowed from the NIE Library. Book photos taken by me.

Nelle Harper Lee (or simply Harper Lee for those who know the book and its film adaptation) was notorious for being a recluse. Hence, it is with such delight that I get to know more about her childhood and her life through this fascinating picturebook biography of a Southern heroine who wrote a story that is now considered to be an American classic.

I was intrigued to note how Nelle was hugely influenced by her own father, a lawyer, whose cases she watched him try at the nearby courthouse. Evidently, it has left such an impact that it rendered a ring of authenticity to her novel.

I was also taken by how deeply Nelle loved words and books, and how she stood up for those who were picked on by bullies, such as her new classmate Truman, who was deemed an oddity in their small Southern town with his white linen suits and high pitched voice.

This bullied young man whom Nelle has taken under her wing eventually grew up to become Truman Capote, who facilitated Nelle’s introduction to the world of publication in New York when they became adults.

How Nelle came to write her unforgettable and inspiring novel, I shall leave for you to discover. This is truly a worthy addition to any book lover’s shelves. 

#WomenReadWomen2019: Country – United States of America (both Hegedus and McGuire are from the US)