Gone with the Wind tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a wealthy American southern Belle whose fortunes take a turn for the worse during the Civil War. From never working a day in her life to managing her nearly destroyed family homestead from the fields, Scarlett's journey is at first unimaginable to a woman of her time. All the while, she pines for her first love, only to end up entangled with the wild and notorious Rhett Butler. The only book author Margaret Mitchell published in her lifetime, Gone with the Wind is itself an essential piece of Americana and also spawned the classic film of the same name.