Ramona. A story.
Boston and San Francisco: Roberts Brothers; Samuel Carson & Co., 1885. 8vo. [ii], 490 pp., plus 4 pages publisher’s advertisements. FIRST EDITION, SECOND ISSUE. Original publisher’s green cloth with title and gilt sunflowers on front cover, spine worn and faded with head and foot a bit frayed. Bookplate of Robert and Dora Archer, ownership signature of Mrs. H.L. McCord dated March 6, 1886 and an inscription to Mother from Dora dated March 9, 1886. Item #18247
First edition, second issue, with the only change being the date on the title page (1885) and a 4-line imprint that includes the name of Samuel Carson & Co., San Francisco. Ramona, an immensely popular novel when first released because of its subtle racism, is even more applicable to our social system today. The title character is a mixed-race orphan girl who suffers the hardship and consequences of her mixed Scottish and Native American heritage. Its portrayal of Mexican colonial life helped to establish a unique cultural identity for the Southern California region. As its publication coincided with the arrival of railroad lines, not unlike the Harry Potter series, countless tourists visited who wanted to see the locations of the novel.
Jackson (1830-1885) was a writer turned activist on behalf of Native Americans seeking better treatment by the government. Ramona does a great deal to magnify the federal government’s mistreatment of Native Americans in Southern California following the Mexican-American war. Her other most well-known work, A century of dishonor (1881) recounted a history of broken treaties between the government and Native American tribes.
BAL 10456; Zamorano 80, 46.
Price: $950.00