When it finally came time for Nelle to open her gift, the Browns pointed to an envelope hanging among the tinsel and ornaments on their tree. Inside it was a sizable check made payable to Lee, together with a note that read, “You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please.” — It was the most shocking Christmas gift of Lee’s life and, as it would turn out, one of the most momentous in the history of American literature.
