Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird': my students' 'Love Story'

Harper Lee is gone. I learned of her death Friday after someone posted it on my Facebook page. I literally gasped aloud, and my jaw dropped. In the moments that followed, others posted the news on my timeline, as well.

I am honored that when people think of Harper Lee and, of course, her novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," they think of me. Why would an 89-year-old from Alabama bring Adrienne Ross, a much-younger, native New Yorker-turned-Missourian to mind?

For years I have praised Lee's first and, until recently, only novel as the greatest of all time -- the novel that introduced me to such characters as the outspoken Scout, reticent Jem and principled Atticus Finch. I spent many semesters of my 17-plus years teaching English language arts in New York exposing middle-school students to the lessons found on its pages. And I even enjoyed reading it aloud just a year ago to a friend who had never had the pleasure. At novel's end, she was so moved, she cried. I can quote passages of the book from memory and am just as inspired as I was when I read them the first time or the fifth time or the tenth time. A plethora of good books exist, but there's only one "To Kill a Mockingbird." I've read many books manifold times, but none so powerful.

Not unlike the mysterious character Arthur (Boo) Radley, Lee lived much of her life as a recluse. Refusing to be a public figure, she kept her adoring admirers at bay. Perhaps that's part of her appeal. She wasn't looking for the limelight, even as her novel shed light on so many topics: race, parenting, justice, courage, addiction, abuse, rape and class, among others. Few literary works tackle so much so well. Yet Harper Lee described the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, made two years later into an Academy Award-winning movie starring Gregory Peck, as "a simple love story." Whose love and whose story? That was always a question for students to ponder. We can speculate, but Lee never provided an answer. This I know: It captured my heart and the hearts of my students; it is, therefore, our love story.

I still hear from students whose lives were affected by this work. They say, "It's the greatest book I've ever read" or "You made it come to life for me." It was so impactful that when it was removed from the seventh-grade curriculum, the joke among my colleagues was that I was undergoing therapy to deal with the loss. That's how much my love for it emanated, which explains, in part, why my students loved it. I didn't teach literature I didn't personally love. "If I love it, they will love it -- because I will teach it like I love it," I've always said.

The day after Lee's death, a former student, now in her twenties, wrote to me on Facebook, "Still remember you teaching me that book. Changed my life." She ended with a heart emoticon. Yes, a love story. This is what made teaching worthwhile, and this is what Lee accomplished through her work.

When I praise "To Kill a Mockingbird," people often say they enjoyed the movie. My response is if they only know the story through the movie, they don't know the story. It must be read: The language! Oh, the language! And those who do not know the story at all have missed out altogether. I won't even attempt to give the plot here. In my best teacher voice, all I can say is, "Read the book!" And when you're done reading the book, go back to the first page, and read the first two paragraphs again. You'll understand why when you do.

The day after Gregory Peck died, I went to school with only one chapter remaining to read with my classes. Students greeted me with, "Miss Ross, the actor who played Atticus died!" They had heard it on the news. As we finished the book in my first class, an eerie silence lingered. It was almost as if when we closed the book, we had closed the book on Atticus as well -- as if he, like Peck, had passed away. Atticus, of course, had not.

Author Harper Lee has now joined Peck, who has been dead for more than a decade. However, thanks to Ms. Lee, Scout, Atticus and "To Kill a Mockingbird" itself, in all their wisdom, inspiration and joy, forever live -- and we will forever love them.

Adrienne Ross is an editor, writer, public speaker, radio show host, former teacher and coach, Southeast Missourian editorial board member and owner of Adrienne Ross Communications.