“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget
how you made them feel.” 
Maya Angelou

This year began with reading one of the books on my 100 books to read before you die list. It was an extremely difficult book to get through, but I am proud to say I finished it. The book was, “The Last of the Mohicans” by James Fenimore Cooper.

Whenever I read a book, I always Google the author and read about their life. James Fenimore Cooper, I learned, had a much privileged life. Both he and his wife were authors and came from wealthy backgrounds.

The second book I read the first week of January was, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, written by Harper Lee. I’d seen the movie several times, but had never took the time to read the book. Of course, I Googled Harper Lee and was surprised to learn she is still alive, and that it was the only book she ever wrote and published.

As a “wannabe” writer, I was stunned that such an accomplished writer, with numerous awards and honors never wrote another novel. She did write a few articles in the 1960’s and one recent letter to Oprah Winfrey in 2006, but that was all she wrote.

I believe the success of Harper Lee’s novel was due mostly because she wrote such realistic and compelling dialogue. Also, the storyline was relevant to what was happening in the United States history during the 1960’s, when the book was published.

Harper Lee may be a “one hit wonder”, with her book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, but that one hit was read around the world.

Shine On