Margaret Mitchell was an American author best known for her novel, Gone with the Wind, published in 1936. The book, set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a strong-willed Southern woman. It became a bestseller and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. Born on November 8, 1900, in Atlanta, Georgia, Mitchell had a brief career as a journalist before focusing on her writing. She faced many challenges in her life, including a serious injury that limited her mobility. Mitchell passed away on August 16, 1949, but her work continues to be celebrated.