Author Joe McGinniss, former Gov. Sarah Palin's neighbor for the past three months at her home on Wasilla's Lake Lucille, is packing his bags and notebooks.

McGinniss is leaving Sunday for his home in Massachusetts to write the book he has been researching on the former GOP vice presidential candidate.

His arrival in May made headlines and drew an indignant reaction from Palin and a visit from her husband, Todd. The Palins even tacked an extension onto an 8-foot board fence between the homes, leaving only a part of their second-story home visible from McGinniss' driveway.