which had just been chosen by the city of Chicago for the One Book, One City reading program. As any intrepid reporter would, Mills had knocked on the front door of Lee's house. To her surprise, the door was open by Lee's older sister Alice who at the time was 89 and still practicing law. Alice had liked what she had heard about Mills from other townspeople and she invited the reporter in to chat and tour the modest home - outfitted with an old plaid couch, a small TV, and books, books, books that she shared with her famous baby sister who she called Nelle. That magical phone call from Harper Lee came the next day and Mills was soon paying social calls to the two sistersand returning again and again to Monroeville - the inspiration for the fictional town of Macom in "To Kill A Mockingbird." In 2004, at the Lee sisters' urging, Mills rented the house next door and lived there for 18 months. She had coffee in the mornings with Harper Lee at the local McDonald's and when to exercise class with her to work off their dinners at Melvin's Barbecue Joint. They even did their laundry together at the XL Laundromat. All the while, with the Lee sister's permission, Mills was recording conversations and taking notes. The result is a charming if slight book called "The Mockingbird Next Door" that provides glimpses into the twilight years of Alice and Harper Lee. As a writer, Mills continues to be a respectful