Ruth's Journey: The Story of Mammy from Gone With The Wind

By Donald McCaig

McCaig’s book Ruth, is a prequel to Gone With The Wind that tells the back story of Scarlet’s mammy, Ruth.  

This is a hard book to review. While I enjoyed the book itself, I don’t believe it accurately portrays the true slave experience in the South during this time period. While Ruth/Mammy’s life isn’t always easy, neither does she appear to suffer what I believe to be the reality most slaves faced during this period. Ruth is at times portrayed as almost friendly with the whites who seem to genuinely care for her. There is some brutality in the book, but it is almost glossed over. 

That being said, McCaig has definitely been faithful to the mint julep, happy slaves, kind Masters, pro slavery of Gone With The Wind. I’m just not sure that’s a good thing.