In 1949, a young woman from a small town in Alabama boarded a train to New York City. She didn’t have a book deal in her pocket—just a suitcase, a typewriter, and a dream. Her name was Harper Lee.
By day, she worked long shifts as an airline reservation clerk. By night, she tried to carve out moments to write—short stories, essays, scraps of ideas. Years went by. By the end of 1956, she was still waiting, still unknown, still struggling to find the time and space to create.
Then, one December morning, her life changed with a single envelope. Her closest friends, Michael and Joy Brown, handed it to her as a Christmas gift. Inside was a note that read:
“You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas.”
Along with the note was a year’s salary.
It was more than generosity—it was faith. And that faith gave her the freedom to sit down and write without fear of rent or bills pressing in.
What emerged wasn’t just a book. It was To Kill a Mockingbird. A story about childhood, justice, and the courage to stand up when it matters most.
Published in 1960, it won the Pulitzer Prize, sold more than 30 million copies, and became one of the most cherished novels in American history.
All because two friends believed in her before the rest of the world did.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes—a little faith, and a little time, to change everything.