"I cannot figure what makes the thing sell so enormously."
"I ponder soberly in the light of letters, newspaper articles, and what people tell me. At first I thought the book might sell a few thousands to people who were interested in the history of that period. A few hundreds to college libraries for use in collateral readings in American History. But I've had to give up that idea because.... well, my small nephew, aged nearly five, has had the book read to him several times and he has announced that it doesn't bore him with repetition as do other books. Here in Atlanta, the fifth and sixth grade students are reading it—obstetrical details and all —and with their parents' permission. I get scads of letters from school girls, ages ranging from thirteen to sixteen, who like it.
"As for the old people-God bless them! There are scores of grandchildren whose voices are rasping and hoarse from reading aloud to them. and Heaven knows how many indignant grandchildren have told me that they had to sit up all night reading because the old folks wouldn't let them quit till after Scarlett was safe at Tara again.
"And in the ages between-this is what stumps me. The bench and bar like it, judges write me letters about it. The medical profession must like it —most of my letters from men and my phone calls from men are from doctors. The psychiatrists especially like it but don't ask me why. And now, the most confusing thing of all, file clerks, elevator operators, sales girls in department stores, telephone operators, stenographers, garage mechanics, clerks in Helpsy-Selly stores, school teachers—oh, Heavens, I could go on and on!-like it. What is more puzzling, they buy copies. The U.D.C.s have endorsed it, the Sons of Confederate Veterans crashed through with a grand endorsement too. The debutantes and dowagers read it.
Catholic nuns like it"