Book Review: Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee

Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee. Katherine Don. Morgan Reynolds, Greensboro, N.C., 2013, Hardcover, 128 pages.

Reviewed by Greg Borzo.

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, once said, “The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think.” This describes both To Kill a Mockingbird and Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee.

Real Courage, a clear, concise biography of the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, describes Lee in direct, straightforward terms and explains how this remarkable book came to be.

One of the best features of Real Courage is the way it places Lee in context. 

Throughout her highly readable book, Katherine Don refers to events that helped to form Lee’s character and views, as well as events that helped change attitudes toward poverty, education, and civil rights — events that shook the nation. In addition, Don does so in a way that will enthuse, encourage, and empower young readers to learn more about the times during which Lee wrote the book and the impact the book had in its aftermath. In fact, even well-informed adults who read this book will find themselves wanting to learn more about a wealth of topics, from the Scottsboro Boys to the Freedom Riders; from Southern culture to Hollywood glitz; from small town life in rural Alabama to the literary scene in New York.

To its credit, Real Courage does not shy away from controversy nor does it gloss over Lee’s foibles and faults, such as being unpopular as a child, never romantically involved as an adult, and the possibility that she drank too much in her later years.

As part of the World Writers Series, Real Courage appropriately sheds light on the writing, editing, and publishing processes. In the case of Lee, there’s plenty to talk about including self doubt, writer’s block, and the need for heavy editing — and then dealing with overnight, world fame. One fascinating story tells of a remarkable Christmas gift Lee received in 1956. Michael and Joy Brown offered to pay all of her living expenses for one year to allow her to focus on writing. Lee made good use of that gift, writing much of what evolved into To Kill a Mockingbird.

Real Courage, itself, will inspire young writers to pen to paper, or whatever it is they do these days when the muse strikes. Don sources important points and includes an extensive bibliography, both of which help make the research and writing transparent. Meanwhile, the attractive book includes vintage images and has a striking, old-fashioned design.

I do have two quibbles with Real Courage, however. It does not weigh in or even mention the well-known controversy over whether Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird by herself or with extensive help from her lifelong friend, Truman Capote (who otherwise looms large in this book). This is an odd omission for a book that touches so many sensitive aspects of Lee’s life, including her sexual orientation, depression, familial relationships, failing memory and, most importantly, the fact that Lee wrote only one book. Why was the hullabaloo about the authorship of To Kill a Mockingbird ignored?

In addition, I wonder why the book is called Real Courage. Lee wrote a great book but it did not take a lot of courage to do so. True, her book and the subsequent movie played significant roles in the civil rights movement, but not because Lee championed those causes. Au contraire. She was no Rosa Parks — or Atticus Finch, for that matter.

In any event, Real Courage is sure to inspire young and high school readers to pick up a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird and better understand Lee and her times.

The choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first selection in the new One Book, One Chicago program in 2001 served as a reminder of the importance of this classic tome. The publication of Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee last year serves as another valuable reminder.