October 18th: Gone With the Wind

"I'll think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day."

Just a couple of weeks ago, I went to a movie theatre to watch the classic film on the silver screen. It was amazing, truly amazing, to see the details we miss on television. It reminded me of what I love about the book--the sweeping drama of the story, the characters and their quirks and foibles (and in some cases, their stereotype), and it rekindled my love for this book.

I don't know when I first read the book, but I remember who first told me about it: my friend Michele in 8th grade. She had a trace of a Southern accent, and when we visited Scott O'Dell, he commented on it. On the way back to school that day, she and her mom were talking about the book and the movie. I was intrigued.

Then in 11th grade, we read the book for American literature. I was in love.

On my first birthday after college and marriage, I received the authorized sequel Scarlett, pictured above. I sat up late one night reading, slept a few hours, and read all day long the next day to finish (I remember being glad I wasn't called in to sub since I had gotten little sleep!). I loved the Irish portion of the story, and while I know it's been widely criticized by purists, I thought it was a good book.

On the right, you can see my ooooold antique copy (1938) that my sister gave me for Christmas a few years ago.

I'm not a Southerner by any stretch, but this book has always held a special place in my heart.

To read more of this #31DaysofBooks series, visit the introduction post.