Published in 1884, Ramona is an American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. The novel is set in Southern California after the Mexican-American War and is the story of a mixed-race Scottish-Native American orphan girl growing up in Southern California and facing immense discrimination. The novel was serialized in the Christian Union on a weekly basis and thus became very popular. Ramona has been printed over 300 times and has been adapted five times as a movie.
The novel has had a tangible influence on the culture and image of Southern California. Its depiction of Mexican colonial life has contributed to establishing a unique cultural identity for the area. As its publication coincided with the installation of railroad lines in the area, many tourists visited to tour the novel’s setting.
