Financial decision by Harper Lee’s estate may turn out to be quite costly.
People often find they never forget discovering Harper Lee’s anti-segregation novel To Kill a Mockingbird or the high school teacher who assigned it as required reading. However, as of April 25 that paperback version generally used in high school will no longer be available, as the Tampa Bay Times reports in “Harper Lee’s estate wants readers to pay more for ‘Mockingbird’.”
Lee’s estate has informed the publisher of the paperback edition of the novel that it will no longer have license to print the book. Other, more expensive versions of the book will still be available.
This news comes shortly after a judge controversially agreed to seal Lee’s will from the public so the public does not know who the author’s heirs are and who is behind the decision to put an end to the paperback version of the book.
Lee’s estate is not necessarily in the wrong.
It does have a duty to properly manage the author’s assets for any heirs or beneficiaries. Selling To Kill a Mockingbird for a few dollars more could potentially lead to more money for those heirs or beneficiaries.
However, this decision could also backfire as schools often face financial challenges and look for ways to reduce the budget. Perhaps a less expensive book will fill the bill.
