Ruth's Journey

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

By: Donald McCaig

Narrated by: Cherise Boothe

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.

Good addition to the GWTW series.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The beginning was slow and at times hard to follow. The first part of the book, was told from Scarlett o hara grandma solange's pov. A bit boring until ruth or Mammy get old enough to tell her story. There was also a lot of death, wives dying and children dying and heartbreak galore.

If you’ve listened to books by Donald McCaig before, how does this one compare?

I personal liked Rhett's story better but that was because I knew the chracters.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I think she did well, crossing the many different chracter that were in the book.the evolution of Miss Katie into Scarlett seemed disjointed in the scheme of things. From GWTW I gathered Scarlett didn't like horses touch and this book has her jumping and out racing Beatrice Tarlelton.

Was Ruth's Journey worth the listening time?

I don't know if I would read it if I wasn't a GWTW fan.

Any additional comments?

The most interesting part was when Ruth was in Charleston. I won't give away the spoilers but it broke my heart when she was on the auction block.

another awesome back story

at first I was slightly confused a bout the characters but quickly caught on. the story of how "mammy" came to America and eventually ended up with the
O 'Hara"s was exceptional! a great look at behind the scenes of a truly great novel!

Not for those who follow canon.

Did the writer read Gone with the Wind, or did they simply take elements of it? The Mitchell estate could not have read this whole book. Overall, this book is disjointed. If they were going to write this book from the character's perspective, it should have been that way from the start. Even if they only wanted to tell the story, they should have had at least one sentence about the main character before jumping into the background. If they were going to have part of the narrative in slave English they should have done it from the beginning or not ar all. Also they change important points. Scarlett never would have behaved the way she did if Mammy was at the barbecue. I like some of the story lines of what might have been before Scarlett was born, but the writer made Grandma Robillard spirited without making her lovable. The voiceover artist has a decent voice, but has no idea how to pronounce Eulalie, who is prominent in this book. My personal ire is that she did not pronounce Godet properly either. The people producing this should be ashamed.

Eh. A Journey Taken, But Not Quite Traveled

I approached Ruth’s Journey with high expectations, especially because I genuinely enjoyed Rhett’s People. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t resonate with me in the same way.

I found the dialogue and speech patterns particularly difficult. They didn’t feel natural or immersive, and for me they lacked the rhythm and nuance that Margaret Mitchell brought to her characters. The portrayal of Southern enslaved characters, in particular, felt uneven and pulled me out of the story rather than deepening it.

While I appreciate the author’s ambition in giving Ruth her own narrative, the prose didn’t flow as smoothly as I had hoped, and the voice never fully settled for me. Compared to Rhett’s People, which felt more confident and cohesive, Ruth’s Journey struggled to maintain momentum and emotional authenticity.

That said, readers who are deeply invested in the Gone with the Wind universe may still find value in seeing Ruth’s perspective explored. For me, however, this installment didn’t quite capture the tone or grace that made the original characters so compelling.

Worth the read!

I did expect long passages about how Ruth obtained her etiquette knowledge. It was enjoyable reading a different point of the happenings at Tara.