María Amparo Ruiz de Burton (1832–1895) was a pioneering Mexican-American novelist, the first female Mexican-American author to write in English, and a keen observer of the disparities and injustices in post-Civil War America. In her literary works, Ruiz de Burton addressed themes of race, ethnicity, gender, and class, thus providing a unique perspective on the American experience from the vantage point of a bicultural author. Her debut novel, 'Who Would Have Thought It?' (1872), is a satirical and critical examination of Yankee society through the eyes of a young Mexican-American girl named Lola. Displaying a literary style that intertwines biting irony with social commentary, Ruiz de Burton unflinchingly critiques the hypocrisy and moral corruption of 19th-century American society. The novel is considered a significant contribution to Chicano literature and early feminist literature, highlighting the complex interplay between nationality, identity, and assimilation, long before these issues became prominent in American discourse. Ruiz de Burton's work resonated with a realism that was influenced by her own life as an aristocratic Mexican woman who married a U.S. military officer and navigated the cultural frontiers of her era. Despite her considerable talents and profound insights into the social fabrics of her time, her literary output remained largely unrecognized until late 20th-century scholars began to re-evaluate her contributions to American literature.