Scarlett: Slavery's Enduring Legacy in an American Family

by Leslie Stainton

From a sixth-generation descendant of the enslaving Scarletts of Georgia, this searing account of one family’s complicity in slavery and its violent aftermath unravels the lies of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind and shows how slavery’s legacy persists today.
 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Race

280 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Kimberly Tierney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion:
This is what you would call an intense yet necessary read. This is the history that many in powerful positions are trying to erase from existence. This is real American history.
Just reading this book made me feel sad and weighed down over the history of slavery in our country; I cannot imagine being the author and having to reconcile that being my family's history as well.
History is messy and ugly, but books like this one are what keep that information present, so we can learn from it and, hopefully, become better people for the current and future generations.

[Carole Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarlett: Slavery’s Enduring Legacy in an American Family by Leslie Stainton is a powerful and unflinching examination of inherited history and moral reckoning. Through personal narrative and rigorous research, Stainton confronts the lasting legacy of slavery, challenging romanticized myths and inviting readers to reckon honestly with the past.