Rhett Butler's People

Too many liberties were taken writing this book. The time line doesn't match up with GWTW, Mammy who dies in GWTW is healthy enough to manual labor in this book (even at her advanced age). Melanie is given thoughts inconsistent with GWTW. Scarlet doesn't lose her wealth in GWTW. Rhett's upbringing does little too explain why in later life his personality is like it is (which is what the description says it does). I got this book because it was supposed to be Rhetts side of the story and this book falls very far from doing that. If you want a novel unrelated to GWTW, this is the book for you. It reads well and has a pleasant story line.

This finally took the bad taste out of my mouth from SCARLETT. It's a wonderful effort. Not quite the style of Margaret Mitchell, but no one ever will be able to exactly duplicate that. It's respectful of the source, and meticulously researched. I would definitely recommend it to any fan of Civil War novels. Give the guy a break...he showed a lot of class in writing this the way he did.

A friend of mine recommended this book to me and I am so glad that she did because it was great!

Donald McCaig took on a virtually insurmountable task - he was to take one of the most beloved novels of the 20th century, and tell the story from the viewpoint of one of its main characters, Rhett Butler. He had to satisfy two audiences - Margaret Mitchell fans and Civil War buffs. This author has more guts and gumption than I would ever be able to muster. That he was able to offer such a satisfying read, while tying in small tidbits from the original story (how Scarlett came to be in possession of the yellow scarf she gave to Ashley is particularly clever), is impressive indeed. As I read "Gone with the Wind," I was always interested in what Rhett's family in Charleston was like, and I loved to delve into Melanie's thoughts and wonder just how much she knew and when she knew it. "Rhett Butler's People" satisfied those questions for me, and I was pleased with the way the story progressed. There were many surprises and there were very few times where I could honestly say "I saw that coming." If you're a "Gone with the Wind" fan, you know you're curious. You may love this book - you may hate it; opinions are as varied as the folks who hold them. The only perfect book would have been written by a resurrected Margaret Mitchell, and since that's not going to happen, I've made my peace with other writers taking on the task. Rather than finding fault, I applaud their courage. I've read the original novel three times, seen the film more than twenty times, and even read "Scarlett," which was not what I had hoped for. I loved "Rhett Butler's People," and though I usually pass books along after reading them, I will be putting this one on the shelf next to my several editions of "Gone with the Wind." "Scarlett" has long since been passed into other hands, but I won't be parting with "Rhett Butler's People."

I have read other's reviews, and understand their criticisms - like Melly not fighting back to what she heard while she was looking for her brother Charles' sword, or her pretending nothing happened at Ashley's birthday party. But - Melly, the Melanie Wilkes I envision - she may have thought, wrote and imagined reactions to hurtful things, but she was such a beautiful soul she couldn't lower herself to do such a thing. I thought the book well written and we come to understand Rhett, his actions, and character. We see his family, and come to know and love his sister. We know about Scarlett, but we see her in a different slant too. Belle Watling - how interestingly she is portrayed here - it really explains her 'relationship' to Rhett and why she was a big part of GWTW. Rhett was a man ahead of his time - in a time where people were sold like canned goods and treated worse than animals, he was fast friends and helped. It is a book worth reading, even if you are an uber GWTW fan - in the South, they used to say "And who are your people?" so the title was perfect - we see the how's and why's Rhett became the man who has lived in our hearts all these many years - a strong man with convictions and a heart full of love.

I have always been a huge fan of Gone With the Wind and had always wanted to know more about the lives of the characters in the book. Although you have to stay focused as Rhett Butler's People jumps from person to person, it was well worth the time to focus and read it!