Ramona returns to the family ranch after years of being educated by nuns. Ramona reunites with her mother and brother and childhood friend, the Indian Alejandro. Ramona falls in love with Alejandro and the couple is faced with the prejudices of being an interracial couple.
The family selects a suitable husband for Ramona and a wedding is planned. Family secrets come to light exposing the truth of Ramona's birth and her Indian heritage. The ill-fated romance continues when Alejandro kidnaps Ramona at the altar.
The two enjoy a short-lived honeymoon before Alejandro is taken captive by the authorities and is hanged. Ramona returns home to live with her mother and Felipe who has loved her since childhood. Ramona is pregnant with Alejandro's child, so she and Felipe get married.
This ill-fated romance is played out against the backdrop of the impending statehood of the Mexican territory, which ultimately becomes what is most often referred to as California.
