Book of Harper Lee stories illuminates her literary journey
‘The Land of Sweet Forever’ features short stories and essays written before and after ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’
Harper Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” who died in 2016, left behind unpublished short stories and an archive of published magazine articles, which are featured in a new book titled “The Land of Sweet Forever.” (AJC File)
By Suzanne Van Atten
Oct 24, 2025
Harper Lee spent the majority of her adulthood dividing her time between New York City and the place of her birth, Monroeville, Alabama. That is until 2007, when a stroke landed her in an assisted living facility in her hometown. She remained there until her death in 2016.
Nevertheless, she never relinquished her one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Among the possessions discovered there after her death were eight never-before-published short stories. They make up the first half of “The Land of Sweet Forever” (Harper, $30), a newly released collection of short works by the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
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“The Land of Sweet Forever” by Harper Lee
(Courtesy of Harper)
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