Jalna (novel)
Encyclopedia
Jalna is a novel by the Canadian
writer Mazo de la Roche
.
It is the first of a 16-novel family saga
about the Whiteoak family. First published in 1927, Jalna won the Atlantic Monthly Press's first $10,000 Atlantic Prize Novel award. De la Roche went on to write about the Whiteoak family for the next 30 years, establishing a place for herself in popular Canadian literature. The Jalna series has been translated into many languages and was adapted for stage, radio, and television. John Cromwell
directed a 1935 film adaptation, Jalna. In 1972, it was filmed for television as The Whiteoaks of Jalna
.
Jalna
is a city in west-central India
, used by de la Roche as the name of a manor house built by a retired officer of the British army who had served in that country. It bears resemblance to an actual house in the Clarkson neighborhood of Mississauga, Ontario
, called Benares. The house was built in the late 1850s for a retired officer of the British army who had served in India, James B. Harris. In India, both Jalna and Benares (now called Varanasi
) were the locations of British garrisons. Operated as a city museum, Benares Historic House once occupied a larger estate, part of which de la Roche called home for a time.
There are similarities and as well as differences in the experiences of the Whiteoak family and de la Roche's. While the lives and successes of the Whiteoaks rise and fall, there remained for them the steadiness of the family manor, known as Jalna. De la Roche's family endured the illness of her mother, the perpetual job searches of her father, and the adoption of her orphaned cousin while being moved 17 times. Her family did work a farm for a few years for a wealthy man who owned the farm for a hobby. Several critics believe that Finch from Finch's Fortune (1932
) is a reflection of de la Roche herself. The names of many of the characters were taken from gravestones in a Newmarket, Ontario cemetery.
The Jalna series has sold more than eleven million copies in 193 English and 92 foreign editions. In 1935
, the film Jalna, based on the novel, was released by RKO Radio Pictures and, in 1972, a CBC
television series was produced based on the series.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer Mazo de la Roche
Mazo de la Roche
Mazo de la Roche , born Mazo Louise Roche in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, was the author of the Jalna novels, one of the most popular series of books of her time.-Early life:...
.
It is the first of a 16-novel family saga
Family saga
The family saga is a genre of literature which chronicles the lives and doings of a family or a number of related or interconnected families over a period of time...
about the Whiteoak family. First published in 1927, Jalna won the Atlantic Monthly Press's first $10,000 Atlantic Prize Novel award. De la Roche went on to write about the Whiteoak family for the next 30 years, establishing a place for herself in popular Canadian literature. The Jalna series has been translated into many languages and was adapted for stage, radio, and television. John Cromwell
John Cromwell (director)
Elwood Dager Cromwell , known as John Cromwell, was an American film actor, director and producer.-Biography:...
directed a 1935 film adaptation, Jalna. In 1972, it was filmed for television as The Whiteoaks of Jalna
The Whiteoaks of Jalna
The Whiteoaks of Jalna was a 1972 Canadian television drama miniseries, based on the novel by Mazo de la Roche. At CAD 2 million, it set a record expense at the time for a Canadian television miniseries. The series was exported internationally including the United Kingdom and France...
.
Jalna
Jalna (city)
Jalna is a city and a municipal council in Jalna district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Jalna was formerly a part of Nizam State as a tahsil of Aurangabad district....
is a city in west-central India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, used by de la Roche as the name of a manor house built by a retired officer of the British army who had served in that country. It bears resemblance to an actual house in the Clarkson neighborhood of Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, called Benares. The house was built in the late 1850s for a retired officer of the British army who had served in India, James B. Harris. In India, both Jalna and Benares (now called Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
) were the locations of British garrisons. Operated as a city museum, Benares Historic House once occupied a larger estate, part of which de la Roche called home for a time.
The story
The series tells the story of one hundred years of the Whiteoak family covering from 1854 to 1954. The novels were not written in sequential order, however, and each can be read as an independent story.There are similarities and as well as differences in the experiences of the Whiteoak family and de la Roche's. While the lives and successes of the Whiteoaks rise and fall, there remained for them the steadiness of the family manor, known as Jalna. De la Roche's family endured the illness of her mother, the perpetual job searches of her father, and the adoption of her orphaned cousin while being moved 17 times. Her family did work a farm for a few years for a wealthy man who owned the farm for a hobby. Several critics believe that Finch from Finch's Fortune (1932
1932 in literature
The year 1932 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*E. V. Knox replaces Sir Owen Seaman as editor of Punch magazine.*Samuel Beckett's first novel, Dream of Fair to Middling Women, is rejected by several publishers....
) is a reflection of de la Roche herself. The names of many of the characters were taken from gravestones in a Newmarket, Ontario cemetery.
The Jalna series has sold more than eleven million copies in 193 English and 92 foreign editions. In 1935
1935 in film
-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
, the film Jalna, based on the novel, was released by RKO Radio Pictures and, in 1972, a CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
television series was produced based on the series.