In Search of Mockingbird [IN SEARCH OF MOCKINGBIRD]

by Loretta Ellsworth

A runaway seeks Harper Lee for answers Sometimes the things that need to be discovered aren' t so easily found at home. Erin is certain that this is true in her case. A book is all that connects Erin to her mother, who died when she was a baby. But how much can Erin really learn about her mother from a tattered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird? On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Erin decides it' s finally time to find out. And so begins her bus journey from Minnesota to Alabama in search of Harper Lee, the reclusive author of Mockingbird. In a novel full of quirky characters, strange coincidences, and on-the-road adventures, Loretta Ellsworth deftly traces a unique voyage of self-discovery.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Teen, Books About Books, Middle Grade

181 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Loretta received her BA from the University of Northern Iowa, and an MFA from Hamline University in writing for children and young adults. A former middle and high school teacher, she's the author of four young adult novels, The Shrouding Woman, In Search of Mockingbird,In a Heartbeat, and Unforgettable. Her WWII historical novel, Stars Over Clear Lake, will be published in 2017. She has four children and six grandchildren, and lives in Minnesota. Follow her on Twitter @lellsworth.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh jesus christ. Within the first ten pages when she said something like "One notebook isn't enough to hold all my feelings" I knew this book was going to suck. And it did. The plot is about this like, 16 year old little emo fucker who is obsessed with To Kill A Mockingbird, and her mom's dead, and she's reading her mom's journal and she decides to run away and try to visit Harper Lee b/c she thinks that going to fix all her emo little problems (I don't like my step mom and NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME!!). Seriously, her level of whine makes Holden Caulfield look like a prince. The writing is very contrived, the author (who is also clearly unreasonably obsessed with To Kill a Mockingbird and in a note at the end of the book calls it "perfection") does not understand the concept at ALL of "showing not telling". Also.. most of this book takes place on a Greyhound bus where she bonds with friendly strangers ie EVERYONE. Seriously, everyone is like "OH YOU GO GIRL!" and encouraging her even though she's loathable and I'm pretty sure a certain population of people on Greyhound's are just angry child molestors and it seems very unlikely that she didnt run into ONE person who was; pretty much everyone she encountered was unreasonably nice and helpful, going way out of their way to accompany her annoying-ass all over the freakin' country on her little emo-tour.

What I'm trying to say is: this wasn't very good.

[Diana S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put it down till it was finished. :D
I loved it! ♡

[Bant · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a nice book. I'm really annoyed by books that rely so heavily on great works of fiction. It seems like they are just using it for a crutch. Or to show off that the author likes literature and so their book must be literature. Really it is kind of a throw away book. We've heard this message before. None of the characters are that new or entertaining or interesting. That said, the writing is solid and the story moves along briskly to an altogether "nice" ending. Nothing groundbreaking, but not everything has to be the freshest book in the world. I just wish it was fresher than this.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, easy read. Probably a 3.75 but I rounded it up to a 4. Loved that it talked about Perryville, Cape Giraurdeau, Sikston, and my home town of Jackson, Missouri. Ironically we were driving down I-55 towards those towns as we got to that part in the book. Books on tape are such a great thing when you are one cross counrty drives. I also like that it took "To Kill a Mockingbird" and found life lessons from it to draw inspirations from.

[Josh]

I read a book called “ In Search of Mockingbird” by Loretta Elsworth, which is about a 16 year old girl, Erin, whose mother died when she was an infant. Even though Erin hardly knew her mother, she misses her everyday and wonders what she was like. Erin is not popular like her two brothers or good at sports, but she enjoys reading books. Erin has a passion for one particular book, “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Erin found a copy of her mom’s version of “To Kill A Mockingbird” with all of her annotations and notes in it, Erin takes it with her wherever she goes along with her journal. One day Erin’s dad gives her one of her mother’s journals that has all of her notes and anything she ever wrote about. Erin's mom wrote a letter to Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and Erin decides that she is traveling to Monroeville to find Harper Lee and talk to her in person. The rest of the book is a story of what happened on Erin’s journey I did not plan to enjoy this book, but surprisingly I really did enjoy it. The book was very intriguing and had many great points that made the book interesting and made it more enjoyable at the same time.
The author Loretta Elsworth used abundant amounts of imagery to make the text more exciting and much more fun to read. In the very beginning of the book the author uses imagery to describe Erin’s older brothers, which allows you to get a picture in your head of what the boys look like. “Bruce has his arm around dad’s shoulder, a clone except that Bruce is 4 inches taller. Dark hair, chiseled Jaw, straight white teeth, the smile that proclaimed he's comfortable with his good looks.” Loretta Elsworth also uses imagery when describing Sedushia, the young woman she met on the bus to Monroeville. A woman with golden brown skin, thick makeup, and curly blonde hair draped down past her shoulders.” Loretta Elsworth was using this advanced imagery to foreshadow things that are going to happen in the future.
One other literary term that Loretta Ellsworth uses is symbolism. She uses symbolism when talking about Erin’s moms journal. The journal has more of a meaning than just a journal, it is the only thing that Erin has left of her Mom and it symbolizes the life of her mom and all of the emotion that Erin deals with when thinking about her. By using symbolism the book becomes much more interesting because now when Erin has her mom's journal with her, you think about her mom being with her too. When you think about Erin's mom being with her on this trip, it adds a lot more emotion because this is something her mom wanted to do as well. There is a much deeper meaning than the journal being just a journal and it is very important that you grasp that.
My final thoughts about the book were that it was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t really expect to like this book because it seemed like it was going to be a little childish and silly, but it turns out it was a great story about how you need to follow your dreams and the best will come from it. Loretta Elsworth used many literary elements to make the book more interesting and give it a better storyline. I will recommend this book to other people who enjoy dramatic and interesting stories.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place in the 1980's and it's about a girl who loves To Kill A Mockingbird. She comments the whole time about how wonderful it would be if Harper Lee had published more books. The WHOLE time I read this I just thought "I hope she never reads Go Set A Watchman". Seriously, the whole time! If Lee did not publish it during her lifetime surly there was a reason... (I think) because it was so awful. That is the only sequel I've read that ruined my opinion of the original book.
Back to this book.. it was cute, but not my cup of tea. It was rather far fetched yet boring at the same time.

[Audrey Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an easy and quick read!!! I wish this book didn't end on a cliffhanger

[Sylvia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buku ini ditulis oleh penulisnya karena terinspirasi oleh TKAM nya Harper Lee. Sama seperti saya yang baca ini juga karena terinspirasi oleh TKAM. Dan kebetulan juga baru kelar baca TKAM, jadi yah rasanya pas aja kalo disambung dengan buku ini.

Buku ini bercerita tentang kehidupan seorang remaja berusia 16 tahun, bernama Erin. Dia hidup dengan ayah dan kedua kakak laki-lakinya. Ditinggal ibunya sejak bayi (sementara ayahnya enggan bercerita tentang ibunya sama sekali) membuat Erin ingin sekali mengenal sang ibu. Satu-satunya peninggalan ibunya yang dia punya adalah sebuah copy buku To Kill A Mockingbird karya Harper Lee. Buku itu menjadi temannya, dan sudah berkali-kali tamat dibacanya, terutama note disekitar halaman buku yg dibuat ibunya (Hmm.. saya aja perlu waktu sebulan untuk ngelarin buku itu).

Malam sebelum ulang tahunnya yang ke 16, ayahnya memberikan diary ibunya yg ditulis sang ibu ketika usia 16 tahun. Di dalam diary tersebut ibunya menuliskan bahwa ia mengirimkan surat ke Miss Harper Lee (sumpe, baru tau kalo Harper Lee itu ternyata wanita).

Mengikuti kata hati, Erin menguras tabungannya dan naik bis menuju Monroeville, Alabama, dengan tujuan ingin bertemu dengan Harper Lee, pengarang favorit alm. Ibunya. Resmilah Erin, di hari ulang tahunnya, kabur dari rumah.

Bukunya lumayan, banyak mengacu pada karakter Scout yang sering memberi inspirasi pada Erin dalam bertindak tanduk. Untunglah saya sudah membaca buku TKAM, kalo belum mungkin akan sedikit sulit memahami buku ini.

Satu percakapan yang berkesan buat saya adalah ketika Erin bertemu dengan seorang wanita diatas bis dan wanita itu berkata bahwa dia senang bisa bertemu dengan seorang penulis yang sangat termotivasi hingga dia rela pergi ke Alabama. Tapi Erin bilang, "I'm not really a writer. I like to write but I haven't been published". Wanita itu berkata, "Don't sell yourself short. Do you think Harper Lee was a writer before she published To Kill a Mockingbird?"

Hmm.. bener juga ya. Jadi termotivasi deh.

[Becky White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I'm not sure if it's the best contribution to children's literature this year, but I loved it. Of course, I love To Kill a Mockingbird much more -- and I enjoyed reading a book about somebody who loves that book as much as I do.

I was impressed with the character development -- and I do mean character -- there were lots of characters in this little novel, and Erin develops her own character or value system as the story goes on.

My criticism is that Erin seemed a bit immature for 16 to me, and yet she had the guts to get on a bus and travel to Monroeville, Alabama, to meet Harper Lee. But maybe the circumstances of her dad's impending marriage and his gift to Erin of her Mom's diary (she passed away shortly after Erin's birth) made her act a bit out of character.

So, this one is all about character. Everybody's.

In addition to Erin's family (Dad, 2 brothers, Susan the future step mom), you meet Sedushia, a stripper with an adult son (Boomer) she hasn't seen in a long time; Epp, an overweight young man who is designing a computer game and traveling the country; and Billy, a young man bound for military service.

SPOILER: Erin also meets Harper Lee in a restaurant, although she doesn't know it at the time. Dad comes to Monroeville to find her--takes her home by car and she is able to ask questions about her mom the whole way. Closes with Erin going to college counselor's office and serving Good Friday dinner at her church to help her dad -- and she will be one of Susan's junior bridesmaids. As Harper Lee once wrote, "As one holds down a cork to the bottom of a stream, so may love be imprisoned by oneself." Erin feels as though she's been uncorked.

[AquaMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erin's mother died when she was a baby, and Erin is deeply curious about the woman she knows so little about--especially since speaking of her mother seems to be taboo among her father and brothers. The only clues Erin has about who her mother was is a battered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, which she has re-read so many times she can recite whole passages by heart.

Then the night before Erin's 16th birthday, her father gives her the journal her mother kept when she was 16. Through reading it, Erin learns that her mother (also an aspiring writer) wrote to Harper Lee, author of Mockingbird.

Thus, Erin is convinced this elusive author possesses the piece she needs to discover who her mother was--and she runs away to embark on a cross-country trip to try and meet the author for herslf and ask the all important question.

During her long journey, Erin meets and befriends several colorful characters, including an aging exotic dancer whose only wish is to get back in touch with the son she abandoned so many years ago, and a rejection-phobic man with a talent for developing computer games.

A very simple concept, but very well-written. Character development was fantastic. One of those rare books where, when you've turned the last page, you hate for them to be over. I'm so glad I picked this one up!

[Cathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the eve of her 16th birthday Erin's father announces that he is getting married. Her two brothers are happy for him but she just can't accept it. Her mother died a week after she was born, she never had bond with her, didn't know much about her. All she has is a weathered copy of To Kill A Mockingbird that she found in the attic a few years ago, her mothers favorite book. Why is it so hard for her to accept this news. That night her father gives her a gift, her mothers diary from when she was 16. When Erin reads the first pages of the diary she discovers that her mother also wanted to be a writer and wrote a letter to Harper Lee after reading TKAM. She decides to run off to Monroeville, Alabama in search of Harper Lee, love for this book and writing stories are the only things she shares with her mother. She buys a one way bus ticket to Monroeville and meets some kooky strangers along the way..
This was a quick read (listen). An ok story. Not enough content or character description.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet book about a girl turning 16 and missing her mother that she never knew. You don’t have to read To Kill a Mockingbird to understand this book. The girl just wants to be accepted by her father and brothers, but they just don’t “get” her. Girls will like this book, but it is definitely NOT a boy book.

Summary: It's 1986 in St. Paul, MN, and Erin is about to turn 16 when her father announces that he's marrying his girlfriend. Her brothers are thrilled, but what the teen really wants is for her dad to talk about her mother, who died when she was a baby, and whose dog-eared copy of To Kill a Mockingbird has inspired the girl to become a writer. When her dad surprises her with her mother's diary, Erin learns that she, too, had wanted to be a writer. Angry that her father kept the diary from her until now and feeling out of place in her evolving family, she makes the sudden decision to take a one-way bus trip to Monroeville, AL, to talk to Harper Lee.

[Hui Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a really good book. Because it talks about something that I had never read in any books. In this book, the protagonist is Erin. Her mother died when she was very young. And now the only things that she knows about her mother was from the book To Kill A Mockingbrid with the notes her mother took in it. On her 16th birthday, her father gave her her mother's diary. And after that she decide to seek for the author of her mother's favorite book, Harper Lee. And in her jourey, she learns new things and meet new people. I enjoyed reading this book because of all the surprises it has during Erin 's journey. What I learned from this book was that people need to explore in order to learn more. If you stay in one place forever, you would never learn new things that you can't learn from school and meet more people.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason I picked this up is because I attended a young author's workshop last week with my daughter and the author was one of the presenters at one of the classes we attended. Also, I always enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird and my grandfather knows Harper Lee, so I was curious. I DO think I enjoyed this book a bit more because I had met the author and talked to her about it, but I did really enjoy the book. It is definitely more fun to read if you are familiar with TKaM, but I believe she gives you enough info to understand the story without that background. I would recommend this book for older teenagers because of the story content (clean, but older), but it is a very fast and easy read (180 small pages). There is lots of text meant to inspire aspiring writers and give them writing advice which I enjoyed rather than finding trite. It's a fun read from a Twin Cities author.

[Judine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellsworth, like Harper Lee, tells her first-person story very effectively. Erin is an engaging character and narrator, and I like that she realized she didn't need to meet Harper Lee in order for her journey to be complete. Her obsession with Mockingbird is totally understandable, given her parallels with Scout (Erin's mother died when she was a few weeks old), and her mother's love of the book. I appreciate some of Ellsworth's more subtle touches, like Erin's kitten being named Miss Maudie. However, even setting the novel in 1986 doesn't make some of the things Erin does (traveling alone from Minnesota to Alabama on a Greyhound in the middle of the night - you can take it from there) any less dangerous. While the people who help Erin all turn out to be OK, I feel like the book should carry a "do not attempt this at home" disclaimer.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

After learning her of her father's plans to remarry, sixteen-year old Erin runs away from home and seeks out Harper Lee, the author of her late mother's favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird. So far, unimpressive. First, the book won't make sense to anyone who hasn't read Mockingbird. Second, Erin seems much more like a twelve-year old than a sixteen-year old. Third (and related to the second), I can't see anyone but the very youngest teens finding this other than twee. That said, it might work for those fresh out of the tween set who want to feel older than they are. ETA: Okay, not finishing this; it's officially not worth my time.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little book (seriously little, like 30 min) that left me scratching my head slightly. Erin (yes, she has the same name as I do) bugged me a little, but then again, Scout in TKAMB bugged me slightly too, so if since a huge part of the story revolved around it, I wonder if the similarity to Scout (not necessarily a bad thing) is intentional. Her first bus friend was...needlessly controversial...(and that's all I have to say about it) and I found Erin, as a girl of (basically) 16 too trusting of people on the bus...but really, as a quick, fluffy read, I'd recommend it.

**In Search of Mockingbird, rated ages 12+, rated 3.5/5stars.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Erin's 16th birthday she begins a pilgrimage to Harper Lee's home in Monroeville, Alabama. Her mother passed away when she was a baby and she only knows her from the notes made in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. Erin knows that TKAM is her mother's favorite book as it is hers, and she wants to see Harper Lee to find answers to questions about life. Her 30+ hours on the bus awaken her spirit and teach her about people and life through the interesting passengers she meets. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read this for the book club at my middle school. The author is from Lakeville, a neighboring suburb, and is coming to our book club meeting at the end of the month. This was a quick read about a girl searching for clues about her deceased mother in the pages of an old copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. She hops a bus and tries to find Harper Lee, hoping she'll learn about her mother and herself before her dad remarries.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for middle school age kids. We did it for book club at school, gr 6-8, and most of them hadn't read To Kill A Mockingbird. We decided to show the movie one day after school thinking it would be helpful for some background when they read this book. It worked out well. Loretta came to our book club and the kids really enjoyed having her there, and they asked great questions, and made lots of comments.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike many who've written reviews of this book, I thought it was very well written and had an interesting plot. "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Harper Lee play an important role in this short novel, but the bigger story is the journey this courageous young girl goes on to find a connection between herself and the mom she never knew. She meets some people along the way who are also in need of courage. This book is a subtle reminder that no one is an island...not even the reclusive Harper Lee.

[Brenda Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story about a girl who impulsively travels to Monroeville, AL, to meet Harper Lee in an effort to better understand her mother who was a big fan of TKAM. I enjoyed the 1980s setting (nostalgia, I know) but also the connections the main character makes along the way and the way she finally realizes what is important in her life.

[Krisanne Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this book. I thought the main character was a bit reckless, and I kept imagining bad things happening to her on her bus trek. Her mother has died, and she is in search of Harper Lee, her dead mother's favorite author. Perhaps I didn't pay enough attention to the plot, or the metaphors, or the symbolism. I just didn't get this book.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this a few years ago and remember not being very impressed. It follows a girl who is utterly obsessed with the book "To Kill a Mockingbird," and runs away to Alabama to try and track down the recluse author Harper Lee. Throughout she compares her father with Atticus, but in the end realized she loves her dad even though he isn't as perfect as Atticus.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful book about a 16-year-old girl trying to connect with her mother who died shortly after she was born. Both have a love for Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, so Erin sets out on a cross-country bus trip to meet Harper Lee and in the process, learn more about her mom. In the end, she learns just as much about her dad and her family and the kindness of others as she does about her mom.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

This girl's fellow bus passengers are unrealistically friendly. And her obsession with TKAM flattens out her character to a maddening degree. (Which is unfortunate, since TKAM is a quality piece of literature.)

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth, takes you on an adventure with sixteen-year-old Erin as she journeys all the way from Minnesota to Alabama by herself, hoping to find a connection with her mother through Harper Lee, her favorite author. In the book, Erin shares a special connection with her mother, who died when she was born, through the book To Kill a Mockingbird. She is now in search of the author who wrote the book, Harper Lee, to thank her. Along the way, she must escape the police who are looking for her to bring her home. She also befriends some interesting characters on the bus, including a stripper and a wannabe video game designer, who try to help her reach her destination. Will she meet Harper Lee, or will she be caught by the police and brought home?

In Search of Mockingbird is a very well written book. This book has excellent character development. It takes you inside the mind of Erin and lets you hear her thoughts along her scary but also exciting journey. Also, the crazy, oddball characters Erin meets on her journey slowly become more and more like you and me as their feelings are shown and the book develops. I also love the storyline of the book. It is very creative and interesting that a sixteen-year-old runs away from home and goes on a cross-country bus trip by herself.

Although I love this book, there are some things I did not like about it. One thing is that Erin is sixteen but throughout the book, she acts very immature and I kept forgetting that she is actually sixteen. Another thing I did not like is I don’t think Erin was given enough closure on her journey. She does end up meeting Harper Lee and talking to her but she doesn’t even realize it is her until after she leaves. I think Erin should have realized it was Harper Lee she was talking to, since she is her favorite author, and talked to her about To Kill a Mockingbird and her mother.

Others might think that In Search of Mockingbird just uses the book To Kill a Mockingbird to get more publicity, but I disagree. I think the connection Erin has with her mother through To Kill a Mockingbird is truly amazing and it really adds to the story. Also, there are many lessons in To Kill a Mockingbird that Erin uses to help her on her journey.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading In Search of Mockingbird. This is a great book for teens who love adventure and friendship. This book is filled with heart-warming friendship and heartbreaking realizations that will keep you wanting to read more.

[Brenda Rollins · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In Search of Mockingbird”, would be a great novella for young teens because it has a beautiful message about life. Even though it’s simplistic in its approach, it would be an eye opener for young adults. Sometimes conversations with absolute strangers can be life altering, reciprocally so and Sedushia is proof of that. This book lacks plot, is informative,but hokey.

Erin struggles in her current situation, her mom died when she was a baby and her dad is getting married again to Susan. It’s 1986 and Erin's sixteen, and she's still clinging to a fantasy that she can somehow forge a connection with her mother through their shared love of the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. She boards a bus and yearns to meet the author Harper Lee, she will tirelessly travel to make this happen. On a Greyhound Bus, the diversity of people that cross her path will change her focus, especially Epp who accompanies Erin to Monroeville to meet the infamous Harper Lee. Impulsively can be enlightening. It’s a simple and predictable story and the subject matter is endearing. I like this author so I figured I would read this novella which is truly about self discovery.

I will have to read “To Kill a Mockingbird” after reading this!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a coming of age story about a girl who wants to learn more about her mother who passed away when she was only a baby. The teenage girl Erin feels very connected to the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and when she is given her mother's journal by her father, she decides to search for the author of Mockingbird, Harper Lee, in hopes of finding out more about who her mother was as a person and an aspiring writer. She runs away from home and sets out on a journey that takes her to interesting places and meeting some interesting characters. It is a journey of discovery about who she is and what her future holds as she searches for the author that she thinks has all the answers. Great read! You should have some knowledge of To Kill a Mockingbird or have read it before trying out this book.

[Allison Renner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick read, which was nice because the pacing of the book was fast, too. Erin is a teenager wants to go to Alabama to meet Harper Lee, because her mother wrote to the author when she was a teenager. Erin wants to be an author too, and she thinks Harper Lee has all the advice she needs to succeed, and to somehow connect with her mother. The story was a bit thin on this one - a girl obsessed with To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee doesn’t (didn’t…) know about Lee’s reclusive lifestyle? And you think she would talk to you for some reason, and solve everything? It’s a nice road trip story, but a little too glossed over and easy-going - everyone on the bus trip was rooting for Erin, nothing creepy happened… Pretty unrealistic. Erin also seemed young for her age. But it was a nice, quick, fluff read.