Donald McCaigReviews

The thing that you need to remember with this book is that it's not a true sequel to "Gone with the Wind". Mr. McCaig gives his own spin on the characters and what they do, how they react. I enjoy his version of Melanie much better and it was nice to hear more about Scarlett's first two children. I also think that his version of Ashley is more accurate. You get to hear more from characters that are just mentions or supporting characters in GWTW.

I am not sure that I would put this on my list of books to re-read at a later date though, whereas "Gone with the Wind" I've revisited multiple times.

I wish there were half stars I would give it 3.5. But,what a surprisingly good book. He did a wonderful job capturing Margret Mitchell's characters. He brought more to the story of GWTW without taking away from the story. It must be so hard to right a companion book to a classic like GWTW but he did such a better job that the last attempt "Scarlett"

10 stars!! This was one of the better reads I've encountered in a long time. Written by the same man who wrote the prequel to Gone With The Wind about Rhett Butler, this is another prequel starring Mammy, Scarlett O'Hara's beloved companion. We learn about her family, her early years, and the book ends just as the Civil War begins. Thrilling backstory with many of the familiar GWTW characters. Interesting, excellently written, and a complete joy. Run, do not walk, and buy this book when it is published later on this year.

Many thanks to the publishers, Atria Books, for giving me this in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure.

This book was kind of like my day today, scattered and lacking focus. A fun read, but each chapter was almost like a different book. Perhaps a collection of articles about dogs and dog training. One theme throughout was Mr McCaig's journey with Mr and Mrs Dog to the International Sheepdog Trials. I found it to be very enjoyable and a quick read. I dashed through some chapters in my quest to find out what would be next for Luke and June.

Eh. I like dog stories, but this just did not work for me. Part of it was the rather odd anthropomorphic style - sometimes dogs just react on instinct, sometimes they think things through, sometimes they talk to one another...in thees and thous. Threw me out of the story every time. Then, there was more time spent on the various dysfunctional people and families Nop is associated with than with the dogs themselves. Jack London did "dog bouncing between bad situations" better, with Jerry of the Islands; Terhune did loyal dogs and loyal masters better in a dozen books. Nop collapsing at the trials was the only part of the book that struck me as both good (well-written and ringing true) and new (not trite). There were other well-written bits, and there were other scenes that didn't feel borrowed from other dog stories, but that was the only one that had both. Also, for a bunch of self-proclaimed dog lovers, the good guys here did an awful lot of closing their eyes and ears to animal abuse ("not hearing" the yelping at the first trial, for instance). There are some badly abused animals here, and quite a few dogs die from various causes. It's too shallow to give real ideas, and too nasty to be a pleasant read (though it does have a happy ending). Not a winner.½

Donald McCaig knows how to plot a compelling story; the problem is that he doesn't know how to write one. His writing is pompous and ponderous, with so many of the utterly too-too clever devices Serious Authors use when they're trying to pretend that they haven't sold out. (ie, barely implied plot points that have a huge impact on the story) And I got the same impression when reading Ruth's Journey that I got when I read Rhett Butler's People: I truly don't think McCaig has ever read GWTW. I can get behind well-written fan fiction, but not pretentious drivel based on Cliff's Notes.

I have mixed feelings about this book, which is why I only gave it three stars. I enjoyed learning about Rhett's past and felt that the author stayed true to the character and to GWTW. There were two things that ruined the book for me, however. First, McCaig's portrayal of the female characters. He portrayed Scarlett as a two-dimensional shrew, Rosemary as driven only by desire for a man she couldn't have, Elizabeth Butler as weak and crazy, and Belle as one of the biggest stereotypes in media, the whore-with-a-heart-of-gold. Second, he wrote one of the most ridiculous, unlikely endings imaginable, one so stupid it would be rejected by a soap-opera. Despite all that, I think this book is worth a read, if only for the first half.

What I loved about this book is that it sticks to Margret Mitchell's take on [b:GONE WITH THE WIND|18405|Gone With The Wind|Margaret Mitchell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166913011s/18405.jpg|3358283](which the book SCARLETT did not,) and then gives you Rhett's views and what he was feeling about the relationship between him and Scarlett in GWTW.

Who knew he had a deeper character than what we fell in love with in GWTW?

I am going to re read GWTW and Scarlet and than this one again!

Though it's been a while since I read, and so cannot give specifics, I remember feeling that this was too much of a rehash, not enough new material. In a word: pointless.

Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCraig is an authorised sequel to Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, which is a personal favourite, as is another authorised sequel by Alexandra Ripley called Scarlett. So when I saw Rhett Butler’s People I instantly knew that I had to buy and read it!

For three reasons I was a little disappointed. Although the title is not misleading, which is a credit to the author, Rhett Butler’s People isn’t really about Rhett and Scarlett. Whilst it touches on the main events of their (well known) story, I thought it would be a retelling of the original story, but from Rhett’s perspective. This book is mainly about Rhett’s childhood and then the people in his life as an adult. A large portion of the book is told from their point of view and is about their lives. I wasn’t expecting that, but I managed to get over it fast.

The second reason I was disappointed was because the story concentrates on the American Civil War far too much for my liking. I wasn’t interested in that side of the story at all and found it dragged the story down. (I’ve never enjoyed reading about battles or wars of any kind.)

Putting those two disappointments to one side, the book was good. Once I accepted that the book isn’t really about Rhett and Scarlett, I became riveted with some of the storylines, especially those which tugged at the heart strings. And it did expand on the original story to some degree.

I found the writing to be readable and in parts, absorbing. The characters were well written and had depth. The settings were realistic. Overall, a good read, but I would have liked the war to be in the background. It would have made a huge difference to my review, which as it stands is quite puny. There isn’t a lot more to say, because the book didn’t “speak” to me as the previous two did, which is a shame.

But what about the third reason for my disappointment? Donald McCraig chose to ignore the other sequel called Scarlett, therefore making up a different sequence of events after the “I don’t give a damn” moment. As his book is an authorised sequel, as was the book written by Alexandra Ripley, I felt he made a bad move when he made that decision. For me, it was tragic and a complete let down and I’m afraid to say that Rhett’s Butler’s People will not be given a place on my “favourites shelf” as a result.

I really struggled to get through this book and I kept thinking about how it was such a shame that a woman with such a fascinating life (just read the back of the cover) had a story that read so blandly and allowed other characters to take center stage. It was only in the last quarter of the book that I felt Mammy Ruth was truly at the center of her own story. For so much of this book, I felt as through I was learning about Solange and her marriages, the O'Hara brothers, and even the Butlers in Charleston. Mammy took a backseat to many of these figures, but I was glad that she was finally narrating her own story by the end of the book.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It is well written and has a great deal of information on the border collie breed. I was a little disappointed that after all the time and adventure that went into finding his dog, he spent almost no time developing her as his working dog. As a child I had a border collie as a pet that was rescued out of a shelter. They are a remarkable breed and McCaig does them justice. He presents a wonderful picture of the people who are tied to the land, sheep and dogs as well.½

Gone With The Wind is undoubtedly my all-time favorite movie. I can watch it over and over and over. It’s not surprising that there have been sequel’s and prequel’s (Scarlett by Alexandrea Ripley—a hideous novel—and Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig that I haven’t read). I admit that I was excited when I saw heard about another prequel, this time from Mammy’s point of view. What a great character she is. Margaret Mitchell not only created a formidable personality, Hattie McDaniel brought her to life. McDaniel deserved the Oscar she was awarded.

I haven’t read all of McCaig’s works, but I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, his Nop’sTrials and Nop’s Hope. Both are excellent stories. Between a novel about Mammy and a writer with whom I’m familiar, no one had to twist my arm to pay hardcover price for what I was positive would be a wonderful reading experience.

Alas, I was wrong; it’s a tedious read. The story has begins when Mammy becomes a refugee from a slave revolt in Haiti. Her mistress gave her the name of Ruth. I know that McCaig had to create a backstory that wouldn’t be stereotypical, but he went too far. It’s as bad as Ripley sending Scarlett to Ireland for most of Scarlett,

Most of the book is about Solange, Scarlett O’Hara’s grandmother, and Ellen, Scarlett’s mother. Only the confidence that the story would turn around and focus more on Ruth/Mammy kept me reading.

I found the first two-thirds of the novel seemed to center on Solange, with Mammy as a supporting character. The first half of the last two-thirds of the novel focused on Ellen, and then finally, we reach Mammy/Ruth’s story. Maybe I need to keep I mind that the title is Ruth’s Journey, not Ruth’s story. When the action finally does center on Mammy/Ruth, it seems more like rewriting of Mitchell’s work.

I give Ruth’s Journey: The Authorized Novel of Mammy From Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind 2 out of five stars

A worthy companion to Gone With The Wind -- and so much better than Scarlett there aren't words enough to tell.

Who was Rhett Butler before Scarlett O’Hara? What happened after Rhett told her he did not give a damn?

Rhett Butler always was one to speak his mind, even to his father which did not make for an easy childhood but he learned to stand on his own two feet. A lesson that was invaluable throughout his life, especially during the war. Yet it was those two feet that kept coming back to Scarlett, for better or worse. In business, he knows when to fight and when to cut his losses but how does that translate to his personal life?

I enjoyed this retelling, I know others did not but I thought it delved deeper into Rhett’s life before Scarlett and shed light on the characters of the other Southern gentlemen after the Civil War. David McCraig was not kind to some of Margaret Mitchell’s other characters but often history is not kind when you look at it through a 21st century perspective. He seems to flip the story upside down which some fans will not like… I like Gone With the Wind and I enjoyed Rhett Butler’s People. Yes, a bit long but it kept me entertained.

Poor Nop. He goes through so much. It was a bit much.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. This gem gives us unknown insight into Rhett's past and we discover connections we could only have guessed at. I mean who could have known that Rhett is essentially the reason that Belle Watling became a fallen woman? Then there is the story that continues after where the original left off. I always want to know what happens after the book is done and with this prequel/sequel I get a little bit of everything.

I didn't know this book ever existed until I borrowed it from a friend that works at the court house. she brought to me at work when she came and seen her dad and father in law at nursing home
I found it really interesting

Ultimately disappointing. While it was pleasant to spend time with some beloved characters, this author manages to make them shallower, smaller, and more petty than we know them to be from the original story. Most of the book harmlessly fills in small gaps and scenes left open in GWTW, but then he tacks on a contrived happy ending that cheapens the overall story.

I have also read Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett, which did a much better job of keeping the spirit of the characters intact, and managed to realistically portray them as they mature.

I am not going to read McCaig's book about Mammy; after having read this one I'm not sure he can be trusted with a grand character like hers. He already drastically changed her storyline in this book, and managed to diminish her as a central figure.

GWTW is in my top 5 all time favorites, and I expect authors to tread this territory carefully.

There is something about a man and his dog and the lengths he will go to find the best. Author McCaig traveled about Scotland looking for the best sheep dog he could buy with limited funds. The author provides a local perspective on owners and their sheep herding dogs as they compete in field trials and a lucrative Scottish market for the best in show.

I've read just about every sequel and parody of "Gone With the Wind" but, I've got to say that this was, by far, the best one. Better than "Scarlett" even. I thought that the characters were true to Margaret Mitchell's original vision, but they were also developed and given their own story here. In particular, I love what the author did with Melly. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves "GWTW".

Ever wonder about Mammy in "Gone with the Wind" before she became Mammy to Katie Scarlett and her siblings? Here is her story. It could be considered a prequel to "Gone with the Wind" because it deals with Ruth and also her earlier dealings with Scarlett, including quite a bit about, the character, Scarlett. Though, not a literary masterpiece, this book delivers an interesting conjecture for any fans of Margaret Mitchell's beloved story.

I received my copy from netgalley.com

Ever wonder about Mammy in "Gone with the Wind" before she became Mammy to Katie Scarlett and her siblings? Here is her story. It could be considered a prequel to "Gone with the Wind" because it deals with Ruth and also her earlier dealings with Scarlett, including quite a bit about, the character, Scarlett. Though, not a literary masterpiece, this book delivers an interesting conjecture for any fans of Margaret Mitchell's beloved story.

I received my copy from netgalley.com

"Gone With the Wind" is such a classic that you don't even need to see the movie or read the book to know that it exists as part of our cultural heritage. Unfortunately I had the opportunity to read the book while it was in my possession (I have never seen the movie) but I allowed it to slip out of my grasp, which is a pity.

For someone to be able to write this book that is based on one of the largest cultural cornerstones is a challenge and one well met in my opinion. Even though I can't base my review on the earlier work anyone who is into historical fiction will find this a page-turner that will capture the imagination.

The author took a follow-up it seems of "Forrest Gump" by using a person whose life narrates the biggest changes of history in several decades while still relating how they touched the lives of those around them while still remaining basically in the background. The book shows the changes on the people around Mammy Ruth as well.

This is one book that I will be keeping while trying to find the original to read now. And I hope the estate of Ms. Mitchell has been pleased with this new addition.

**Received this book as part of the First Reads at Goodreads.com for free in exchange for a review**

Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

Fully authorized by the Margaret Mitchell estate, Rhett Butler's People is the astonishing and long-awaited novel that parallels the Great American Novel, Gone With The Wind. Twelve years in the making, the publication of Rhett Butler's People marks a major and historic cultural event.

Through the storytelling mastery of award-winning writer Donald McCaig, the life and times of the dashing Rhett Butler unfolds. Through Rhett's eyes we meet the people who shaped his larger than life personality as it sprang from Margaret Mitchell's unforgettable pages: Langston Butler, Rhett's unyielding father; Rosemary his steadfast sister; Tunis Bonneau, Rhett's best friend and a onetime slave; Belle Watling, the woman for whom Rhett cared long before he met Scarlett O'Hara at Twelve Oaks Plantation, on the fateful eve of the Civil War.

Of course there is Scarlett. Katie Scarlett O'Hara, the headstrong, passionate woman whose life is inextricably entwined with Rhett's: more like him than she cares to admit; more in love with him than she'll ever know…

Brought to vivid and authentic life by the hand of a master, Rhett Butler's People fulfills the dreams of those whose imaginations have been indelibly marked by Gone With The Wind.

Leona's Review:

I won this book from goodreads.com. I have always liked the movie Gone With the Wind and since this was authorized by the Margaret Mitchell estate I thought it would be a good book to read.
There is some history that was changed as the author admits but it did not change my opinion of the book.
Rhett Butler's People is about the people, friends, enemies and family of Rhett Butler. It is not always about Rhett Butler and Scarlett. There is the history of the Civil War and how it changed so many lives. Like Gone With the Wind, it had hard times and sad times; it also shows people can and will come through hardships.
A lot of Gone With the Wind is in Rhett Butler's People and I thought it was well done.
The movie happened to be on while I was reading this book and it helped me picture the characters. It kept the main characters as they were in the movie; Melanie is still sweet and Scarlett is still demanding.
I have never read Gone With the Wind but have watched the movie many times. I see I need to read the book now.
I give it a 5 star rating. I did like it and will read it again.
Donald MaCaig is on facebook.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com