“Rhett Butler’s People” is the flip side of one of the most beloved novels ever written, “Gone With The Wind”.  This is Rhett’s side of the story. 

Rhett Butler has always been charming to the ladies, but not every well liked by many people in his life.  The reader learns of his early years before he met Scarlett.  Rhett’s father, a ruthless man, demanded everyone follow his orders without question including his son.  When Rhett disobeyed him, he was kicked out of the house and kicked out of his family’s life.   

There was only one person who truly knew Rhett better than he knew himself, his boyhood friend, Jack Ravanel.  The reader is soon reunited with Scarlett.  Her life is interwoven with Rhett’s more than she is willing to admit.  She is also the one woman who could not control him, which just made her want him more. 

I was disappointed with this book on several levels, they were trying to ride the coattails of the original and in my opinion failed to gain the appreciation this book needed.  Rhett came off as flat and not the Rhett we learned to love in “Gone with the Wind”.  On the plus side, the readers are reunited with old friends from the classic.  All in all, a worthwhile read for the die hard Rhett and Scarlett fans.

Reviewed by Patsy Glans for The Road to Romance

May 14, 2008