Jalna

Jalna is a fictional estate featured in a series of novels by Canadian author Mazo de la Roche. The series, also known as the Jalna series, chronicles the lives of the Whiteoak family who reside at Jalna, a large estate in the fictional town of Finch, Ontario. The stories begin in the late 19th century and continue through the mid-20th century, focusing on the matriarch Adeline Whiteoak and her descendants.

The novels explore themes of family relationships, generational conflict, love, loss, and the changing social landscape of Canada. Jalna itself serves as a central character, its grandeur and decline mirroring the fortunes and struggles of the Whiteoak family. The estate is depicted as a place of both comfort and constraint, a symbol of tradition and a source of tension for the younger generations.

First introduced in the novel "Jalna" published in 1927, the series gained significant popularity and comprises sixteen books. Mazo de la Roche meticulously developed the characters and their intertwined lives over decades, creating a rich tapestry of domestic drama. The Jalna series remains a notable work in Canadian literature, often studied for its portrayal of Canadian society and its exploration of family dynamics.