Sunday Salon & Raffle September 7, 2008

Hi Saloners,

As I sit here writing this weeks Sunday Salon, my sister just called to let me know that my town is under a tornado warning. Lovely! Of course, at this time of night, around 8:00PM it is dark and Hurricane Hannah has been raising havoc all day. How do you see a tornado in the dark? The ground is saturated and trees, limbs and other projectiles litter the streets. Power lines are down, major streets are closed and I am thankful I am inside my cozy house. Now, you would think I live in the southern part of the US, but actually, I live in Connecticut. More specifically, the inland northern hills. So although I have lived through hurricanes while living at the coast in my earlier lifetime, I'm not fond of the term "tornado warning." My dog "Mystery" as usual, is hiding in the bathroom because she hates the sound of thunder. She shutters and quakes continuously until I can give her something to calm her down. Well, as Twain is quoted, "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes." I'm waiting.

The Winds of Tara, by Katherine Pinotti

You will be surprisingly swept away by The Winds of Tara, assuming you can obtain a copy to read. It is unavailable in the United States. Due to copyright infringements and the lack of authorization from the Mitchell Trust, the book was pulled from bookstore shelves. Fortunately, since the copyright does not apply in Australia, diehard Gone With the Wind fans, can buy The Winds of Tara there, albeit having to pay high shipping costs.

Once I overcame the logistics of obtaining the book, it was well worth the wait and expense. I was held captive again by Scarlett and Rhett as I was as a teen.
Again, Tara is the rock that holds the family together and nothing is more sacred or valued more, than the lives and reputations of those who live there. It is delightful to enjoy the banter again between the Butler’s as they continue to prove they are truly made for each other. Neither trusting each other, both madly in love with each other, both stubborn and unyielding. Without the Civil War as the backdrop, Scarlett is busy trying to save her marriage and recover her reputation as well as maintaining the social status of the family name.

Katherine Pinotti has succeeded in masterfully matching the tone, style, dialect and personalities of the original characters created so lovingly by Margaret Mitchell. It is obvious that the author took great care when writing the sequel to maintain a continuum that would be believable and have the same passion as the original. Her success should be celebrated as she has not altered the integrity of Mitchell’s novel, nor has she detracted from the novel’s birthright. On the contrary, Pinotti, has enhanced the legacy of Gone With the Wind by breathing a new soul into a story fans have yearned to hear.

Although it has been said that Mitchell never intended a sequel, many have attempted to provide a resolution to GWTW. Scarlett written in 1991 was rather dull and disappointing. Recently, Rhett Butler’s People, by David McCraig out in stores, provides another perspective. Both of these sequels were authorized despite Margaret Mitchell’s wishes. Another version bestselling, The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall is from the slave’s perspective. This book was allowed to be sold only after a court decision ruled in favor of the author.

Katherine Pinotti’s version fulfills an enormous void for those fans who wish to reclaim the magic of Tara. The Winds of Tara is an astounding success. It will captivate your attention and you will believe.

“God’s nightgown!”, as Scarlett would say.
It is such a waste to finally have a worthy sequel, and not be able to support the demand for anyone wanting to read the book in the US. If you loved Gone With the Wind, you must send for The Winds of Tara today.

Busy Week

I've had a super busy schedule at work this week, but grateful for my free time to read at night. I had a productive week after finishing up the prodigious tome The Toss of a Lemon that had me tied up it seemed for some time. This book was very well written, but had such finite details that at times I almost said, "Enough, I'm done!!!" Fortunately, I stuck with it, because it really has a very strong heroine who I wanted to follow to the end. Please see my review: The Toss of a Lemon

Finished this week....reviews to follow.

1.You Are Here, The surprising link between what we do and what that does to our planet. by Thomas M. Kostigen This is a series of stories about cities or places around the world that are the most polluted and who is responsible.

2.Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott
3.Red Sky in Morning, by Patrick Culhane
4.The Fire, by Katherine Neville
5.A Lady of Secret Devotion, by Tracie Peterson

Win a Book,End of Summer Raffle

This week I am having a raffle for a copy of So Long at the Fair. This is what Amazon said about this book:The bestselling author of Drowning Ruth returns to the small-town Wisconsin she so brilliantly evoked with this gripping novel about love, marriage, and adultery.

The Rules: 1. Leave a comment on my blog. (one chance)
2. Answer this question and get (another chance): What was the name of the book written about Gone With the Wind from the slave's perspective?
3. Link this raffle to your blog. (another chance)
4. Drawing will be held on September 18th.
5. Contest only open to United States shipping address.
6. Leave an email contact address.

Good Luck!!