Maria Carrillo was a real person who lived in the days when California still belonged to Spain. She grew up with the country, raised her thirteen children here, and was one of only three women to receive a land grant. Widowed at 43, she traveled to Sonoma with her children and built Rancho Santa Rosa, with the help of her famous son-in-law Mariano Vallejo. Her's is a fascinating story, full of adventures told as a biographical novel.