Last week, I learnt with sadness about the passing of Harper Lee. Her book To Kill a Mockingbird is a favorite of mine and is, in my opinion, one of the best American classics. Born Nelle Harper Lee on 28 April 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, she was the youngest of 4 children. Her father was a lawyer, perhaps the inspiration for Atticus Finch. Her mother suffered from mental illness, and…