Mazo de la Roche (1879–1961) was one of Canada's most prolific and commercially successful authors of the twentieth century. Born Maisie Louise Roche in Ontario, she achieved global fame with her multi-generational family saga, the Jalna series. The series, which began with the publication of Jalna in 1927, eventually grew to encompass sixteen novels chronicling the lives of the Whiteoak family and their estate, Jalna.\n\nDe la Roche's work was characterized by its vivid characterizations and its depiction of a genteel, quasi-aristocratic Canadian lifestyle. The Jalna books became an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies worldwide and being adapted for both stage and screen. Despite her immense commercial success, de la Roche maintained a highly private personal life, living for decades with her lifelong companion and cousin, Caroline Clement.\n\nThroughout her career, de la Roche wrote novels, short stories, plays, and autobiography, but she remains most enduringly associated with the Whiteoak family. Her contribution to Canadian literature was recognized with numerous honors, and she remains a key figure in the country's early twentieth-century literary history.
