Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” passed away Feb. 19 at the age of 89 in her hometown of Monroeville, AL.

She died just months after the release of “Go Set a Watchman” July 14, which has since gained critical acclaim.

“America and the world knew Harper Lee as one of last century’s most beloved authors,” Hank Connor, Lee’s nephew, said in his statement. “We knew her as Nelle Harper Lee, a loving member of our family, a devoted friend to the many good people who touched her life, and a generous soul in our community and our state. We will miss her dearly.”

According to The New York Times, Lee was remembered “as she lived: quietly and privately” with a simple, private service with 40 guests in attendance the following day.

Like countless other admirers, celebrities tweeted their respects and tributes to Lee.

https://twitter.com/Oprah/status/700759283663638528

https://twitter.com/RWitherspoon/status/700737803672391680

https://twitter.com/katiecouric/status/700713816040976386

The Dallas Morning News also paid tribute to the beloved author, tweeting “Harper Lee left us a book of magic, and we thank her for it.”

In addition to receiving the Pulitzer Prize for “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Lee also received the 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is “given to those who have made remarkable contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, culture, or other private or public endeavors.”

Despite the void left in the literary world, Harper Lee’s legacy will live on, both through her novels as well as through the countless readers she inspired.

In the words of the beloved author: “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”