The life and times of the enigmatic Rhett Butler unfold, beginning with his boyhood as a free spirit in the marshes and tidewaters of the Low Country. Through Rhett's eyes, we meet the people who shaped him: his ruthless father, whose desire for control resulted in unspeakable tragedy; the Overseer's daughter, Belle Watling; Rhett's brave and determined sister, Rosemary; Tunis Bonneau, the son of freed slaves--Rhett's childhood friend who understood him like no one else; Jack Ravanel, whose name became inextricably linked to heartbreak. And then, of course, there is Scarlett.