Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind is a sweeping historical romance that follows Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong Southern belle, through the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The story is set in Georgia and centers on Scarlett's romantic pursuits, her survival during the war, and her eventual success in business as the South rebuilds. Scarlett is motivated by her unrequited love for Ashley Wilkes, who is engaged to his cousin Melanie Hamilton.