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First edition, the finest association copy of one of the most important American novels of the 20th century which had an initial first printing of 5,000 copies and went on to earn Harper Lee the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to her Lippincott editor, "To my beloved Tay with all the love in my heart - Nelle." The recipient, Tay Hohoff, was a senior editor at J.B. Lippincott & Co. and was instrumental in shaping both the plot and thematic core of To Kill a Mockingbird. When Harper Lee first submitted the manuscriptâ "then titled Go Set a Watchmanâ "it was a promising but unrefined work: a series of loosely connected vignettes, vivid in voice but lacking a unifying narrative structure. Drawing on her extensive editorial experience, Hohoff recognized the strength of Leeâ s prose and the moral resonance of her material, but also discerned that its potential would only be realized through substantial reimagining. She moved beyond technical editing to form what was, in effect, a creative partnership with Lee. Over the next two years, Hohoff guided Lee through substantive revision and reconceptualization, urging her to reshape the episodic draft into a cohesive narrative centered on Scout Finchâ s moral and psychological development, interwoven with the broader themes of racial injustice and moral integrity. Her approach combined structural reorganization, thematic refinement, and disciplined attention to narrative coherence, ensuring that the novelâ s social commentary arose organically from its characters and plot. In this capacity, Hohoff functioned not merely as an editor but as a creative collaborator whose influence was instrumental in transforming an uneven draft into one of the most enduring works of twentieth-century American literature. Lee herself later acknowledged this closeness, speaking of Hohoff not only as a skilled editor but as a confidante and ally in the arduous process of bringing To Kill a Mockingbird to life. Near fine in a good first-issue dust jacket with the Truman Capote accolade to the front flap printed in green. Provenance: from the private collection of Tay Hohoff, by direct descent to her granddaughter. Jacket design by Shirley Smith. Author photograph by Truman Capote. Housed in a custom half morocco and chemise slipcase. Arguably the most significant association copy of To Kill a Mockingbird extant. Four years after the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee remarked, "I never expected any sort of success with Mockingbird. I was hoping for a quick and merciful death at the hands of the reviewers, but at the same time I sort of hoped someone would like it enough to give me encouragement. Public encouragement. I hoped for a little, as I said, but I got rather a whole lot, and in some ways this was just about as frightening as the quick, merciful death I'd expected." Based on Lee's experiences growing up in the Deep South, the primary themes of the novel involve racial injustice and the destruction of innocence with Atticus Finch, the narrator's father, serving as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers. The story, told by the six-year-old Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, takes place between 1933 and 35 and follows the story of a local black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a young white woman. Appointed to defend him, Atticus Finch establishes Robinson's innocence and a devious plot to convict him by a local white couple. Despite her editors' warnings that the book might not sell well, it quickly became a sensation, bringing acclaim to Lee in literary circles, in her hometown of Monroeville, and throughout Alabama. The New Yorker declared it "skilled, unpretentious, and totally ingenious". It has gone on to become of the best-loved classics of all time and has been translated into more than forty languages selling more than forty million copies worldwide.
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