What makes Monroeville, Alabama Special?
It is the perfect location to spend your time far away from the busy life you can find in the larger towns, but it also has an astounding legacy as well.
Aside from the interesting architecture and interesting history, Monroeville is also known as being the hometown of 2 major writers that activated during the post-WWII period, mainly Harper Lee and Truman Capote. The interesting thing is that not only did these two writers live during the same period, but they also were childhood friends in the 1930’s.
The author was born in 1926 in Monroeville and she recently passed away (February 19 2016), leaving behind a massive legacy. She is widely known for her novel named To Kill a Mockingbird that received a Pulitzer Prize in 1961, offering her the ability to become a classic of modern American literature. She received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 that managed to bring in front her support and contribution to the American literature throughout the years. Her last publication was Go Set A Watchman .
She had a great connection with Truman Capote because not only was he used as the basis for the character Dill in her book, she also helped him to perform research for his book named In Cold Blood. The hometown museum in Monroeville offers a variety of pictures that showcase the legacy Harper Lee left for the city. Thanks to her work she managed to make Monroeville a lot more popular and that brought in a quite a lot of possibilities. She is also known as a great representative of the Monroe County High School where she studied an actually developed a lot of interest for the English literature.
Truman Capote wasn’t born in Monroeville, but he did came here after his parents divorced. He was only 4 years of age at that time and he was raised by his mother’s relatives. Here’s where he managed to meet Harper Lee with whom he developed a great friendship.
If you like culture and these two writers in particular, then visiting Monroeville will allow you to obtain a great insight into their life, all while understanding how their award-winning novels were created and in what conditions!
Don’t forget to check out the We Care Thrift Shop on the square right across from the Courthouse Museum!
I always thrift at We Care Thrift Store when I go back to Monroeville a few times a year to visit my parents.