Author(s): Helen Hunt Jackson; Denise Chávez (Introduction by); Denise Chávez (Introduction by)

Fiction

The orphaned daughter of a Scottish merchant and his Native American bride, Ramona grows up in the southern California of the nineteenth century, a golden land of old Spanish missions and sprawling ranches. Ramona's mixed-race ancestry and marriage to a Native American make her a target for bigotry and abuse as the region passes from Mexican control to American statehood and three cultures ― Mexican, Anglo, and Indian ― enter into an increasingly heated conflict.
Originally published in 1884, Ramona was hailed by Atlantic Monthly as "one of the most artistic creations of American literature." Helen Hunt Jackson's richly atmospheric romance was intended to draw attention to the U. S. government's mistreatment of Native Americans after the Mexican-American War. Most of the book's original audience, however, was drawn to its love story and picturesque qualities rather than its political content, and it attracted countless tourists to southern California. The source of four movie adaptations, the novel continues to enchant readers. This edition is graced by appealing black-and-white illustrations.