Scarlett
by Alexandra Ripley
★ Top 25 book of 1991 · #13 on Best Books of 1991
Set in the South after the Civil War, this sequel to a beloved classic picks up with Rhett, Scarlett and Ashley as they try to rebuild their lives. It continues the story readers wanted to see carried on.
Best for: Readers who loved the original Southern epic and want its story continued
Scarlett is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 1991, out of 23 1991 books that cleared our data bar.
What Scarlett is about
Scarlett O'Hara's story picks up shortly after the funeral of Melanie Wilkes, a funeral Rhett Butler does not attend. In the Reconstruction-era South, Scarlett is left to work out what remains between her and Rhett, and what to do with a life that feels unfinished. Rhett leaves her a letter saying he will not see her again.
Heartbroken, Scarlett turns toward her family's past. She reaches out to her O'Hara relatives in Savannah and travels to Ireland with her cousin Colum, a priest. There she buys Ballyhara, land that once belonged to the O'Haras, and comes to be known as The O'Hara. Her future grows more tangled when she learns of Rhett's marriage to Anne Hampton and keeps a secret of her own.
A sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, this sweeping, romantic novel suits readers who want more time with Scarlett, her stubborn survival and her search for roots.
Scarlett on the Best Books of 1991
Scarlett came out in 1991. Of the 23 books first published in 1991 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #13 on our Best Books of 1991 list.
Why it made the list: 156 readers have shelved it on Open Library. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1991 list
- The Sum of All Fears Tom Clancy, #11
- On Directing Film David Mamet, #12
- The Girlfriend Robert Lawrence Stine, #14
- Women on Top Nancy Friday, #15
See all Best Books of 1991 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1990 Best Books of 1992.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 127 want to read it, 16 are reading it now and 13 have read it, according to Open Library.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 22 | 55% |
| Reader love | 74 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 74 | 20% |
Questions about Scarlett
When was Scarlett published?
Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley was first published in 1991.
Was Scarlett one of the best books of 1991?
Scarlett is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 1991, out of 23 1991 books that cleared our data bar. 156 readers have shelved it on Open Library.
Why is Scarlett on the Best Books of 1991 list?
156 readers have shelved it on Open Library.
More of the best books of 1991
- Outlander Diana Gabaldon, #1
- Needful Things Stephen King, #2
- American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis, #3
- Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, #4
- The Firm John Grisham, #5
- Reaper Man Terry Pratchett, #6
See the full Best Books of 1991, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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