Mazo de la Roche
Encyclopedia
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.
at the age of nine.
One of the family's moves meant some years on a farm owned by a wealthy man who farmed as a hobby. There de la Roche began to develop her fictional world of rural
aristocracy
that would become Jalna.
At the age of seven, her parents adopt
ed de la Roche's orphan
ed younger cousin
Caroline Clement, who joined in her fantasy world game and would become her lifelong companion. The two lived a fairly reclusive life; their relationship was not discussed widely in the press. In 1931 they adopted two children whose parents were friends of Clement and de la Roche and who had died.
Prior to her becoming famous, she lived for a period of five years in Sovereign House in Bronte, which has been designated a historical building by the Bronte Historical Society. Mazo's "Whiteoaks Chronicles" figures into the term "Whiteoaks" which usually refers to the Oakville-Bronte area.
in Munsey's Magazine
but did not begin her writing career in earnest until after the death of her father. Her first two novels, Possession (1923
) and Delight (1926
), were romantic novels and earned her little in income or recognition.
Her third novel, Jalna
, was submitted to the American
magazine Atlantic Monthly, winning a $10,000 award. Its victory and subsequent publication in 1927
brought de la Roche fame and fortune at the age of 48.
It is interesting to note the similarities and 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 Whiteoak who majors in Finch's Fortune (1932
) is a reflection of de la Roche herself. He was a somewhat tortured concert pianist with overtones of gayness. 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.
at St. George's Anglican Church, at Sibbald Point
, near Sutton
, Ontario.
The Benares Historic House of Clarkson, Ontario is believed to be the inspiration for Jalna and is now maintained by Museums of Mississauga. A nearby park is named Whiteoaks in honour of the series, as is a nearby elementary school. Streets in the area also bear names such as "Mazo Crescent," "Jalna Avenue," and "Whiteoaks Avenue."
Her house at 3590 Bayview Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, bought by The Zoroastrian Society of Ontario in 1975, currently (2007) serves as its community centre. It is listed as a City of Toronto Heritage Property.
In the 1970s, a land developer in London, Ontario used the characters from de la Roche's Jalna series to name streets for a new subdivision named White Oaks. Streetnames used from the Jalna series include: Jalna Boulevard, Ernest Avenue, Renny Crescent, Finch Crescent, Nicholas Crescent, Alayne Crescent, Archer Crescent, Piers Crescent, Meg Drive.
In 1990, a new French-immersion public school in de la Roche's birthplace of Newmarket, Ontario was named in her honour.
Responding to an enquiry on the pronunciation of her name, her secretary told The Literary Digest
: "Her Christian name is pronounced may'zo, and Roche is pronounced rosh, to rhyme with Foch."
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
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...
, was the author of the Jalna
Jalna (novel)
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...
novels, one of the most popular series of books of her time.
Early life
Mazo de la Roche was the only child of William Roche, a salesman, and Alberta (Lundy) Roche (Alberta was a great-great niece of David Willson founder of the Children of Peace through the latter's elder half brother Hugh L. Willson). She was a lonely child and the family moved frequently during her childhood due to the ill health of her mother and her father's many jobs. She became an avid reader and developed her own fictional world that she called "The Play" in which she created imaginary scenes and characters. She wrote her first short storyShort story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
at the age of nine.
One of the family's moves meant some years on a farm owned by a wealthy man who farmed as a hobby. There de la Roche began to develop her fictional world of rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
that would become Jalna.
At the age of seven, her parents adopt
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
ed de la Roche's orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed younger cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
Caroline Clement, who joined in her fantasy world game and would become her lifelong companion. The two lived a fairly reclusive life; their relationship was not discussed widely in the press. In 1931 they adopted two children whose parents were friends of Clement and de la Roche and who had died.
Prior to her becoming famous, she lived for a period of five years in Sovereign House in Bronte, which has been designated a historical building by the Bronte Historical Society. Mazo's "Whiteoaks Chronicles" figures into the term "Whiteoaks" which usually refers to the Oakville-Bronte area.
Early writing
De la Roche had her first story published in 19021902 in literature
The year 1902 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* April - Mark Twain purchases a home in Terrytown, New York.* June 4 - Mark Twain receives an honorary doctorate of literature degree from the University of Missouri....
in Munsey's Magazine
Munsey's Magazine
Munsey's Weekly, later known as Munsey's Magazine was a thirty-six page quarto magazine founded by Frank A. Munsey in 1889. Munsey aimed at "a magazine of the people and for the people, with pictures and art and good cheer and human interest throughout". John Kendrick Bangs was the editor. The...
but did not begin her writing career in earnest until after the death of her father. Her first two novels, Possession (1923
1923 in literature
The year 1923 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey makes his first appearance in print....
) and Delight (1926
1926 in literature
The year 1926 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Bread Loaf Writers' Conference is founded in Middlebury, Vermont....
), were romantic novels and earned her little in income or recognition.
Her third novel, Jalna
Jalna (novel)
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...
, was submitted to the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magazine Atlantic Monthly, winning a $10,000 award. Its victory and subsequent publication in 1927
1927 in literature
The year 1927 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Random House, book publishers, is founded in New York City by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer.-New books:*James Boyd - Marching On...
brought de la Roche fame and fortune at the age of 48.
Jalna series
Her books became best-sellers and she wrote 16 novels in the series known as the Jalna series or the Whiteoak Chronicles. 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.It is interesting to note the similarities and 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 Whiteoak who majors in 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. He was a somewhat tortured concert pianist with overtones of gayness. 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.
Death and legacy
Mazo de la Roche is buried near the grave of Stephen LeacockStephen Leacock
Stephen Butler Leacock, FRSC was an English-born Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer, and humorist...
at St. George's Anglican Church, at Sibbald Point
Sibbald Point Provincial Park
Sibbald Point Provincial Park is a provincial park located in Sutton West, Ontario, Canada on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe, 70 km north of Toronto...
, near Sutton
Sutton, Ontario
Sutton is a suburban community located nearly 2 km south of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. The community was formerly a village but is now part of the Town of Georgina after amalgamation with it and North Gwillimbury in 1971.-Geography and information:...
, Ontario.
The Benares Historic House of Clarkson, Ontario is believed to be the inspiration for Jalna and is now maintained by Museums of Mississauga. A nearby park is named Whiteoaks in honour of the series, as is a nearby elementary school. Streets in the area also bear names such as "Mazo Crescent," "Jalna Avenue," and "Whiteoaks Avenue."
Her house at 3590 Bayview Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, bought by The Zoroastrian Society of Ontario in 1975, currently (2007) serves as its community centre. It is listed as a City of Toronto Heritage Property.
In the 1970s, a land developer in London, Ontario used the characters from de la Roche's Jalna series to name streets for a new subdivision named White Oaks. Streetnames used from the Jalna series include: Jalna Boulevard, Ernest Avenue, Renny Crescent, Finch Crescent, Nicholas Crescent, Alayne Crescent, Archer Crescent, Piers Crescent, Meg Drive.
In 1990, a new French-immersion public school in de la Roche's birthplace of Newmarket, Ontario was named in her honour.
Responding to an enquiry on the pronunciation of her name, her secretary told The Literary Digest
Literary Digest
The Literary Digest was an influential general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, Public Opinion and Current Opinion.-History:...
: "Her Christian name is pronounced may'zo, and Roche is pronounced rosh, to rhyme with Foch."
Published works
- Explorers of the Dawn (collection of previously published sketches), Knopf, 1922.
- Possession (novel), Macmillan PublishersMacmillan PublishersMacmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
, 1923, reprinted, C. Chivers, 1973. - Low Life: A Comedy in One Act (play; first produced as Low Life in Toronto, Ontario, at Trinity Memorial Hall, May 14, 1925), Macmillan, 1925.
- Delight (novel), Macmillan, 1926, reprinted with introduction by Desmond Pacey, McClelland and StewartMcClelland and StewartMcClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is partially owned by Random House of Canada, now a subsidiary of Bertelsmann....
, 1961. - Come True (play; first produced in Toronto at Trinity Memorial Hall, May 16, 1927), Macmillan, 1927.
- Jalna series (in narrative order)
- Building of Jalna, Little, BrownLittle, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
, 1944 ISBN 0-316-17996-5 - Morning at Jalna, Little, Brown, 1960 ISBN 0-333-03933-5
- Mary Wakefield, Little, Brown, 1949 ISBN 0-333-07652-4
- Young Renny, Little, Brown, 1935 ISBN 0-333-01371-9
- Whiteoak Heritage, Little, Brown, 1940 ISBN 0-333-05090-8
- Whiteoak Brothers, Little, Brown, 1953 ISBN 0-333-08809-3
- Jalna, Little, Brown, 1927 ISBN 0-316-18000-9
- Whiteoaks of Jalna, Little, Brown, 1929; published as Whiteoaks, Macmillan, 1929, ISBN 0-316-18014-9
- Finch's Fortune, Little, Brown, 1932 ISBN 0-333-09966-4
- The Master of Jalna, Little, Brown, 1933 ISBN 0-316-18002-5
- Whiteoak Harvest, Little, Brown, 1936 ISBN 0-333-07404-1
- Wakefield's Course, Little, Brown, 1941 ISBN 0-316-18010-6
- Return to Jalna, Little, Brown, 1946 ISBN 0-333-04842-3
- Renny's Daughter, Little, Brown, 1951 ISBN 0-333-08561-2
- Variable Winds at Jalna, Little, Brown, 1954 ISBN 0-333-02280-7
- Centenary at Jalna, Little, Brown, 1958 ISBN 0-316-17997-3
- Building of Jalna, Little, Brown
- The Return of the Emigrant (play), first produced in Toronto at Trinity Memorial Hall, March 12, 1928.
- Low Life and Other Plays (contains Low Life, Come True, and The Return of the Emigrant), Little, Brown, 1929. ISBN 1-131-68067-7
- Portrait of a Dog (novel), Little, Brown, 1930.
- Lark Ascending (novel), Little, Brown, 1932.
- The Thunder of the New Wings, Little, Brown, 1932.
- Beside a Norman Tower, Little, Brown, 1934. ISBN 1-199-86589-3
- (With Nancy PriceNancy PriceNancy Price, CBE , was an English actress on stage and screen, authoress and theatre director. Her acting career began in a repertory theatre company before progressing to the London stage, silent films, talkies and finally television. In addition to appearing on stage she became involved in...
) Whiteoaks: A Play (adapted from Whiteoaks of Jalna; first produced in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, at Little Theatre in the AdelphiLittle Theatre in the AdelphiLittle Theatre in the Adelphi was a theatre in London, on what is now John Adam Street just west of the Royal Society of Arts. It should not be confused with either the Little Theatre or the Adelphi Theatre both of which are in the West End...
, April 13, 1936; produced on BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, 1938), Macmillan, 1936. ISBN 0-333-06247-7 - The Very Little House (novel), Little, Brown, 1937.
- Growth of a Man (novel), Little, Brown, 1938.
- The Sacred Bullock and Other Stories of Animals, Little, Brown, 1939, reprinted, Books for Libraries Press, 1969. ISBN 0-8369-3186-6
- The Two Saplings (novel), Macmillan, 1942.
- Quebec: Historic Seaport (non-fictionNon-fictionNon-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
), Doubleday, 1944. ISBN 1-121-26423-9 - Mistress of Jalna, first produced in BromleyBromleyBromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, at New Theatre, November 12, 1951. - A Boy in the House, and Other Stories, Little, Brown, 1952.
- The Song of Lambert (juvenile), Macmillan, 1955, Little Brown, 1956.
- Ringing the Changes: An Autobiography, Little, Brown, 1957. ISBN 1-141-37942-2
- Bill and Coo (juvenile), Macmillan, 1958, Little, Brown, 1959.
- (Author of introduction) George F. Nelson, editor, Northern Lights: A New Collection of Distinguished Writing by Canadian Authors, Doubleday, 1960. , .
- Selected Stories of Mazo de la Roche, edited and introduced by Douglas Daymond, University of Ottawa Press, 1979. ISBN 2-7603-4340-5
Related works
- Jalna 1935 film based on the novel. IMDb
- The Whiteoaks of Jalna 1972 CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe 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...
TV series based on the Jalna series. IMDb
External links
- Mazo de la Roche's entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia
- D. M. Daymond (1976). "Nature, Culture and Love: Mazo De La Roche's Explorers of the Dawn and The Thunder of New Wings". Studies in Canadian Literature, 1.2.
- Joan Doig (1980). "Mazo de la Roche's Delight: An Unexpected Source". Studies in Canadian Literature, 5.2.
- Google map of Benares Historic House
- Mazo de la Roche Public School in Newmarket, Ontario
- Ontario Plaques - Mazo de la Roche
- Mazo de la Roche fonds at Queen’s University Archives