Donald McCaig reigns as one of the best Civil War novelists to date. The award-winning author of JACOB’S LADDER was chosen by the Margaret Mitchell estate to pen RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE, the long-awaited follow-up to GONE WITH THE WIND, in which the life and times of the dashing Rhett Butler unfolds.

McCaig celebrates the landscapes of pre-Civil War by panoramic views of plantation life. His written contrasts of class differences in southern Low Country fill the novel with characters to love, pity, hate, adore, admonish and relish. Each, including Rhett himself, demands both empathy and tribute. RHETT BULER’S PEOPLE begins with a scenario played out by a young man defending honor. Young Rhett's pistol shot before sunrise in the marshlands he had played in as a child is the defining point of his future. Scorned by his father for the murder of his Overseer’s son, Rhett is disinherited from the family.

The pre-dawn duel with Shad Watling culminates Rhett’s wayward childhood activities. Despite his father’s constant struggles to normalize his son through education and a short, hapless stint at West Point, Rhett refuses to obey as the heir to the plantation. His saddest regret is in losing contact with his sister Rosemary, a girl with a rebellious heart of her own.

I stepped into the rich settings painted as powerful scenery in McCaig’s depiction of events leading to eventual War Between the States. Corseted youthful debutantes waltz across ballrooms, fluttering eyelashes at handsome male heirs to rich land fortunes. In contrast, shiny dark-skinned slaves attend to miniscule demands foisted on them by their lords and ladies of the manor. Political maneuvering is a constant undercurrent behind the lavish masquerades and parties. We follow Rosemary Butler, whirling into her social season where her flirtatious nature leads her to foolish consequence --- marriage without love.

Meanwhile, Rhett vacates to New Orleans where his keen business sense becomes his best friend. He is both a charlatan and a hero, winning heavy sums at poker tables and investing in the city’s chief industry --- freebooting expeditions. Belle Watling, an outcast by her father following her brother’s murder, arrives in New Orleans. Rhett takes her on as his responsibility and enables her as a businesswoman, however shady her occupation. Their relationship is a constant throughout the book.

RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE would not be complete without our meeting Scarlett O’Hara, the belle of Tara Plantation. Rhett meets the fiery green-eyed girl in a green dancing gown at Twelve Oaks Plantation, attending a party with friend Frank Kennedy. The event celebrates the owner’s son’s engagement. Ashley Wilkes is betrothed to Melanie Hamilton but is adored by Scarlett. Rhett bumbles onto a confrontation between these two by accident. Scarlett discovers the intruder when Ashley leaves the room and lashes out at him.

“Sir,”…“you are no gentleman.”

“An apt observation. And you, Miss are no lady.”

The love affair between Rhett and Scarlett is written into the story. Self-centered Scarlett finds strength unknown before meeting Rhett. He, in turn, is captivated by her. Their paths cross and re-cross, culminating in marriage. Scandal, heartache, furies of a war-torn southland, ruination of family legacies, reunion and events following the war bring chaos into their lives. The Ku Klux Klan invades the plantation domain, which takes a toll on McCaig’s characters.

Rhett’s friends, from childhood and throughout the war years, influence his destiny. Tunis Bonneau, son of a freed slave, becomes both confidante and partner when they launch a business. Belle Watling’s mysterious son, Taz, affects Rhett’s generosity. Plantation heirs become soldiers in the South’s hapless war, suffering into their futures. Rhett’s business success brings respect and responsibility. Mired in self-loathing, he sways into a seedy side but triumphs with self-assurance when he returns to his destiny.

RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE is a historical masterpiece. Fiction makes for reality when each page turns in this story that enhances Margaret Mitchell’s GONE WITH THE WIND. It is a spell-binding read that invites one to thirst for more.