Still a Winner After All These Years
The year was 1989. I was a mere 13 years old, babysitting for the next door neighbors while they had a night out on the town. The kids were safely tucked in their beds, and I put on the TV. Just in time to catch the beginning of the second half of Gone with the Wind . I'd never seen this movie, but I'd been aware of the book for years, as a battered copy sat on my mother's bookshelf. Ok, so it's a bit more battered, but yes, this is it. When I got home, I told my mother and had all sorts of questions. What happened with Ashley? Did he tell Scarlett he would marry her? My mom, ever the dedicated reader, was disappointed that I saw the movie first. It was then that this battered, 862-page classic became mine. So I read it. Twice. And then I saw the movie. And then I bought a copy of the screenplay while on vacation. Luckily, it was the 50th anniversary of the movie, so there was lots of memorabilia available. And then my mom began getting me the plates from t...