The whole world knows actress Hattie McDaniel, who played Mammy in the epic film, Gone With The Wind, and became the first African-American to ever win an Oscar for her performance. But no one knows much about the character Mammy. Where was she born? Where did she grow up? Did she know her family? Did she have any children of her own. Had she ever been in love?

These are some of the questions that challenged respected Civil War novelist, Donald McCaig, who gave Mammy a first name and a poignant portrait, in his newly published book, Ruth's Journey. Authorized by the Margaret Mitchell Estate, here is the first-ever prequel to one of the greatest novels of all-time.

I had the pleasure of chatting with this critically acclaimed author of Rhett Butler's People who magnificently recounts the life of Mammy, one of literature's greatest supporting characters, from her birth to her days as a slave girl to the outbreak of the Civil War. Set against the backdrop of the South, Donald McCaig has done a superb job creating a story of fortitude, heartbreak and loyalty that illuminates your reading of Margaret Mitchell's unforgettable classic, Gone With The Wind.

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