RHETT BUTLER'S PEOPLE by Donald McCaig

Frankly, my dear, this book was not what I expected.  The title led me to believe it was a prequel, but actually it's a retelling (and continuation) of Gone With the Wind from another perspective, though not always Rhett's.  If you're a huge GWTW fan, then you will probably either love or hate this novel.  If you love all things associated with GWTW, then this novel will give you more to love.  If you're more of a GWTW snob and think GWTW is the greatest love story ever written, then you'll probably think this novel pales in comparison.  As for me, I liked it but didn't love it, and I could say the same about the original, which, honestly I don't remember all that well.  I did look forward to the scene where Scarlett visits Rhett in jail in her green velvet dress that she fashioned from Tara's drapes, but knowing almost everything that was going to happen detracted from my enjoyment quite a bit.  This author knows his Civil War history, and that aspect may have been better fleshed out here, but I'm really more interested in why Scarlett swooned over the very boring Ashley Wilkes.  Her relationship with Rhett is tricky and is definitely of the love-hate variety.  For some reason, their clawing at each other here reminded me of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, with all the jealousy but not the drinking.  As expected, this book is more politically correct than the original, thank heavens, without soft-pedaling on the racial horrors of the times.  Rhett is our dashing, charismatic hero throughout, walking a tightrope between his condemnation of slavery and his love for the South.