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Ruth's Journey

The Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind

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Ruth's Journey

By: Donald McCaig
Narrated by: Cherise Boothe
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About this listen

 From the national bestselling author of Rhett Butler’s People, the “exquisitely imagined, deeply researched” (Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of March) authorized prequel to Gone with the Wind following the epic story of one of literature’s greatest characters—Mammy—magnificently recounting her life from her infancy in Haiti and days as a slave in the South, to raising Scarlett at Tara and the outbreak of the Civil War.

The only authorized prequel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind—the unforgettable story of Mammy. On a Caribbean island consumed by the flames of revolution, an infant girl falls under the care of two French émigrés, Henri and Solange Fournier, who take the beautiful child they call Ruth to the bustling American city of Savannah.

What follows is the sweeping tale of Ruth’s life as shaped first by her strong-willed mistress, and then by Solange’s daughter Ellen and Gerald O’Hara, the rough Irishman Ellen chooses to marry; the Butler family of Charleston and their unexpected connection to Mammy Ruth; and finally Scarlett O’Hara—the irrepressible Southern belle Mammy raises from birth. As we witness the lives of three generations of women, gifted storyteller Donald McCaig reveals a nuanced portrait of Mammy, at once a proud woman and a captive, a strict disciplinarian who has never experienced freedom herself. Through it all, Mammy endures, a rock in the river of time.

Set against the backdrop of the South from the 1820s until the dawn of the Civil War, here is a remarkable story of fortitude, heartbreak, and indomitable will—and a tale that will forever illuminate your reading of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. Classics Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction United States Women's Fiction World Literature Heartfelt

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Gone with the Wind captivated readers by skillfully blending intense action with powerful emotional depth, drawing them into Scarlett and Rhett’s turbulent world with authenticity and passion. By contrast, Ruth’s Journey appears to focus heavily on historical detail and the social realities of the time, yet it may lack the emotional resonance one might expect, especially when compared to the evocative storytelling of works like Uncle Tom’s Cabin. While Ruth’s Journey provides valuable insights into the daily lives and cultural dynamics of the period, the emotional impact sometimes feels subdued, as if the author’s extensive research overshadows the personal depth and intimacy that might have brought the characters and their struggles to life more vividly.

In Uncle Tom's Cabin, the emotional narrative is intrinsic, pushing readers to connect deeply with the characters’ hardships. This may be what Ruth's Journey is missing—a powerful emotional undercurrent to match its historical richness, allowing readers to truly feel, rather than just observe, the world through Ruth’s eyes.

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