Who Would Have Thought It? (Annotated)

Who Would Have Thought It? is a sharp, satirical novel that follows Lola Medina, a Mexican girl rescued from captivity and brought into a hypocritical New England household during the Civil War era. Through domestic intrigue, racial prejudice, religious posturing, and wartime profiteering, the novel exposes the moral contradictions of U.S. society. Its style blends sentimental fiction, political satire, and social comedy, placing it in dialogue with nineteenth-century reform novels while unsettling their assumptions about race, nation, and virtue. María Ruiz de Burton, born in Baja California to an elite Californio family, became one of the first Mexican American novelists writing in English. Her life after the U.S.-Mexican War, including marriage to an American military officer and experience with dispossession under U.S. rule, deeply informed her critique of Anglo-American power. She wrote from the perspective of a bilingual, bicultural woman attentive to how conquest reshaped law, property, and identity. This novel is highly recommended for readers interested in early Mexican American literature, Civil War fiction, feminist satire, and the hidden political complexity of nineteenth-century American writing.

This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

María Amparo Ruiz de Burton (1832-1895) was the first female Mexican-American author to write in English. Her best known work is "Who Would Have Thought It?" a novel on Civil War. Ruiz de Burton's work is considered to be a precursor to Chicano literature. Her life took her from coast to coast in the United States, which provided her with opportunity for first-hand observation of the U.S., its westward expansion, the American Civil War, and its aftermath.