"One of the most artistic creations of American literature." -The Atlantic Monthly (19th century) Ramona (1884), by Helen Hunt Jackson, is a story of racial discrimination and hardship and their effects on the life of a mixed-race Scottish-Native American orphan. Having been serialized originally and widely read, the book had considerable influence on the culture and image of Southern California. Moreover, five subsequent film adaptations of the book have included sentimental portraits of the region's colonial life that have further reinforced its unique cultural identity.