“Exquisitely imagined, deeply researched . . . brings to the foreground the most enigmatic and fascinating figure in Gone with the Wind. This is a brave work of literary empathy by a writer at the height of his powers, who demonstrates a magisterial understanding of the period, its clashing cultures, and its heartbreaking crises. ” —Geraldine Brooks, author of March 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.

Devotional Bible studies focused on encouraging personal faith and to give insight to redemptive themes in the Book of Ruth for personal and practical application.

Dee Brestin entreats: Sisters, we must treasure the two Bible books named after women (Ruth and Esther), for they are God's special gifts to us! Through Ruth, I have heard my Heavenly Father say, As Boaz was to Ruth, I am your Kinsman-Redeemer. Come to Me, let Me cover you, protect you, provide for you, and love you. You do not have to be wealthy, or famous, or male to be of value. Ruth made an enormous difference and became as precious to Naomi as seven sons. Some say women's friendships are shallow and catty. Some say relationships with mothers-in-law are impossible. My little Book of Ruth is a tribute to the redemptive love I can unleash through women. This guide is one of a series written by Dee especially with the interests of women, and the way they like to relate, in mind. Dee Brestin ministers to the hearts of women with her speaking and writing. Besides her many Bible study guides, she is the author of the bestsellers The Friendships of Women, The Friendships of Women Workbook, and We Are Sisters. She and her husband, Steve, are the parents of five children and live in Kearney, Nebraska. Other Bible Study Guides by Dee: and * A Woman's Journey through Esther and * A Woman's Journey through Luke and * The Joy of Women's Friendships and * The Joy of Hospitality and * The Joy of Eating Right and * A Woman of Value (Proverbs) and * A Woman of Insight (Ecclesiastes) and * A Woman of Joy (1-3 John)

Find a fuller, richer life by letting God direct your destiny. The story of Ruth is a journey of transformation. By allowing God to transform her circumstances, Ruth went from a widow who would be excluded from society to a wife with a secure and protected future, a future that ultimately paved the way for the birth of King David! Her story is full of collision--loss, heartache, poverty, even shame--but she never let her past define her. Instead, the most painful time of her life became her most pivotal, propelling her to a destiny she never imagined. Perhaps you have a past you're struggling to overcome. If disappointments, whether a result of your own choices or the actions of others, have kept you from being your true self, this book is for you. Follow Ruth's life and discover the hope available to each of us. Your yesterday does not have to dictate your tomorrow. Despite your past pain, you, too, can find redemption and restoration.

You're probably missing some of the most interesting books of the Bible. In the Jewish tradition, the five books known as "The Five Scrolls" perform a central liturgical function as the texts associated with each of the major holidays. The Song of Songs is read during Passover, Ruth during Shavuot, Lamentations on Tisha B'av, Ecclesiastes during Sukkot, and Esther during the celebration of Purim. Together with the five books of the Torah, these texts orient Jewish life and provide the language of the faith. In the Christian tradition, by contrast, these books have largely been forgotten. Many churchgoers can't even find them in their pew Bibles. They are rarely preached, come up only occasionally in the lectionary, and are not the subject of Bible studies. Thus, their influence on the lives and theology of many Christians is entirely negligible. But they deserve much more attention. With scholarly wisdom and a quick wit, Williamson insists that these books speak urgently to the pressing issues of the contemporary world. Addressing themes of human sexuality, grief, immigration, suffering and protest, ethnic nationalism, and existential dread, he skillfully guides readers as they rediscover the relevance of the Five Scrolls for today.

"A dramatic journey from a nightmarish childhood in a Romanian concentration camp to the adult's painful fight for a meaningful existence. An impressive document of human resilience, a luminous portrait of a never embittered survivor, gifted with an exact "Honest and brave. A monument to the dead of Transnistria, to a black mark in history and to an enduring spirit."-- Miami Herald Ruth Gold proves that the heart broken into a thousand pieces can be broken yet more....Read this book: it is filled with the stubborn light of the(barely describable)truth.--Andrei Codrescu, author of The Blood Countess

Ruth Silvers young life was challenged in ways most of us will never know. A silent, frightened child with undiagnosed vision loss, her world was one of limited vision that ultimately became one of total darkness. Once the situation had a nameretinitis pigmentosa (RP), a progressive eye diseaseshe at least knew what she was dealing with. As she grew, her other contact with the worldsoundwas also taken from her. Where others might have given up, Ruth refused to surrender to the darkness and silence. As Ruth Silvers world shrank around her, her heart and ambition grew. She never stopped looking for ways to add meaning to her life. Inspired by her own experiences and challenges, she founded the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons in Milwaukee, a nonprofit agency dedicated to helping others living with the double disability of deaf-blindness. Ruths story demonstrates how a resilient spirit can propel a profoundly disabled person forward toward a happy, productive life. A charming young man by the name of Marv was destined to change her life even more; their enduring love story is one of hope, patience, and acceptance. Invisible dispels myths, suggests useful teaching procedures, gives hope to people who are disabled and their families, and offers reassurance through her example that a person with profound disabilities can live a full, rich life.

Fully authorized by the Margaret Mitchell estate, Rhett Butler's People is the astonishing and long-awaited novel that parallels the Great American Novel, Gone With The Wind. Twelve years in the making, the publication of Rhett Butler's People marks a major and historic cultural event. Through the storytelling mastery of award-winning writer Donald McCaig, the life and times of the dashing Rhett Butler unfolds. Through Rhett's eyes we meet the people who shaped his larger than life personality as it sprang from Margaret Mitchell's unforgettable pages: Langston Butler, Rhett's unyielding father; Rosemary his steadfast sister; Tunis Bonneau, Rhett's best friend and a onetime slave; Belle Watling, the woman for whom Rhett cared long before he met Scarlett O'Hara at Twelve Oaks Plantation, on the fateful eve of the Civil War. Of course there is Scarlett. Katie Scarlett O'Hara, the headstrong, passionate woman whose life is inextricably entwined with Rhett's: more like him than she cares to admit; more in love with him than she'll ever know... Brought to vivid and authentic life by the hand of a master, Rhett Butler's People fulfills the dreams of those whose imaginations have been indelibly marked by Gone With The Wind.

When we choose retreat we make a generous investment in our friendship with Christ. Seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently and eloquently leads us into an exploration of retreat as a key practice that opens us to God, guiding us through seven invitations to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.