Since the death of legendary author Harper Lee, question have swirled about the actions taken by the attorney who essentially ran Lee’s household in the years before the reclusive author’s passing. First, it was the release of Go Set A Watchman which was a surprise since Lee had been adamant, for decades, that she had zero intent of ever releasing a new book, at least until her attorney “discovered” the manuscript. Then it was the sudden refusal of the estate to allow cheap paperbacks, most often used by schools, to be published which essentially doubled the price of the book overnight. In addition, the small Alabama town where Lee was raised was suddenly prevented from using material related to Mockingbird despite the fact Lee had given them free reign for, again, decades. Now, scrutiny is being focused on the fact that Lee’s will has been sealed from public view which has lead many to wonder if there was undue influence and whether the attorney is a beneficiary of the estate. But those questions will go unanswered, for now at least, despite the clamor among the public to understand Lee’s changes of heart in the years leading up to her death.
See Shekhar Bhatia, EXCLUSIVE: Harper Lee’s multi-million dollar will was made secret by judge who has NEVER sealed the hundreds of wills he has overseen and admits he is a friend of her controversial lawyer, The Daily Mail, April 6, 2016.
