Rhett Butler's People

From the idyllic and well ordered days of the old South through the battles of the Civil War and its heart wrenching aftermath, one man stood apart from the rest yet was an integral part in all that occurred. A hero not only to the characters of RHETT BUTLER'S PEOPLE, but to so many who met and fell in love him in Margaret Mitchell’s GONE WITH THE WIND.

From earliest childhood Rhett Butler watched the society that surrounded him never seeing to quite fit in. Perhaps even being ahead of the times he lived in. Taking each person in and of themselves as themselves, he passed judgment on no man and no woman. Standing apart from those around him, Rhett let others draw conclusions about him. Forever irritating his father, he is accused of the ultimate insult of fathering the family overseer’s daughter’s child. That is until while at a barbeque at the Wilkes Twelve Oak’s plantation he cautions against the planters’ romanticized dreams of going to war. It is on that fateful day he spies for the first time the woman who will claim his heart for all time. In what begins with the realization that Scarlett O’Hara is no different than he, Rhett falls more in love than he could ever imagine.

As the southern states venture more deeply into war, Rhett’s innate business sense comes to the fore and he finds himself a wealthy man. A blockage runner, investor and business man, Rhett controls every aspect of his life, taking things as they come with a detachment unlike any other. That is except for Scarlett.

Scarlett O’Hara has loved Ashley Wilkes for as long as she can remember. She carries him in her heart and mind and believes she will for all time. Yet Scarlett is no weak Southern belle and when called upon to protect and care for her family, she is up to the task. As her world and Rhett’s circle each other, marrying. Scarlett cannot help but to throw away her happiness with Rhett in the dream of a life with Ashley. When Rhett’s life is threatened, Scarlett must make the greatest decision of her life.

How does one, in a few words, accurately relate the adventure, the trials, the passion that is Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara? How does an author recapture the emotions evoked in Margaret Mitchell’s GONE WITH THE WITH and yet make it his own story? Donald McCaig’s saga RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE does just that. It is a story readers and fans of the Butlers have longed for. What this reviewer found especially intriguing is that it is a man who tells Rhett’s story in a way that will appeal to both men and women. Men will feel themselves drawn by the battles recounted in the story, the adventure of running a blockage and the hidden secrets that were New Orleans in the 19^th century. What woman could resist Rhett Butler? Charming, elegant, a step outside society’s norms and so in love with Scarlett. Whether he is writing on the drama and loss of battle or a passionate love scene, Mr. McCaig weaves a story to savor.

RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE is a tapestry of emotion, woven in a vivid mosaic—a saga to be savored and enjoyed over time and to be read again and again. This is no easy story to read over a long weekend. Rather it is one to spend time with as the characters come to life and enter the lives of its readers. This reviewer found herself re-reading certain chapters two or three times simply because they were so rich in the telling. A phrase, a thought, a thread that weaves the reader deeper into the tale.

With RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE Donald McCaig undertook a project that few could truly succeed in bringing to life. There are a few lines that differ from Ms. Mitchell’s telling or the movie version. Yet these differences make it even more so Rhett’s story, told from his life and views.

If you are looking for an ideal gift for a reader, something he or she will treasure for years to come, RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE is an excellent choice. If you are looking for a story to enjoy over and over again, this is indeed the book for you.

December 2007