Gone with the Wind “Perhaps - I want the old days back again and they'll never come back, and I am haunted by the memory of them and of the world falling about my ears.” Margaret Mitchell was an American novelist and journalist who wrote one of the most popular books of the 20th century, Gone with the Wind. The book won the National Book Award in 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. Gone with the Wind is an epic romance novel that tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a determined Southern belle who endures the challenges of the American Civil War. Despite the hardships, she manages to create a thriving business by taking advantage of the opportunity to rebuild the South. Scarlett's actions are driven by her unrequited love for Ashley Wilkes, a man of integrity who is happily married. However, after several unsuccessful relationships with other men, including the charming Rhett Butler, Scarlett realizes her true feelings and decides to win Rhett back.