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Rowdyboy

(22,057 posts)
9. One of my favorite from years ago was "The Whiteoaks of Jalna" by Mazo dela Roche
Sun Jun 17, 2012, 09:01 AM
Jun 2012

Set on Lake Ontario it chronicles the Whiteoak family for approximately 100 years IIRC. Made into a miniseries some years ago but I never saw that sadly.

Here's a bit.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazo_de_la_Roche

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) is a reflection of de la Roche herself. He was a somewhat tortured concert pianist with overtones of gayness.[3] 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.


Recommendations

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Define "family saga?" mvccd1000 Jun 2012 #1
Sorry, it is a broad category -- but yes, "Pillars of the Earth" would be a good example. I loved Nay Jun 2012 #3
I have only read a few family sagas that I enjoyed. Curmudgeoness Jun 2012 #2
It's been years since I read "A Woman of Substance," but I remember truly enjoying it. It fits Nay Jun 2012 #4
I never considered family sagas to be "beach books" Curmudgeoness Jun 2012 #5
Forsyte Saga Mz Pip Jun 2012 #6
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg... Little Star Jun 2012 #7
That was excellent, all right. The movie came out good, too. Nay Jun 2012 #8
One of my favorite from years ago was "The Whiteoaks of Jalna" by Mazo dela Roche Rowdyboy Jun 2012 #9
Take a look at the Town House series by Norah Lofts. SheilaT Jun 2012 #10
These sound really interesting TuxedoKat Jul 2012 #16
R.F. Delderfield wrote several good ones. nt raccoon Jun 2012 #11
Gwen Bristow: Deep Summer, The Handsome Road, This Side of Glory ( a trilogy). raccoon Jun 2012 #12
Oh, yes. I'd temporarily forgotten about those. SheilaT Jul 2012 #18
Thanks so much, everyone! I have gotten some excellent suggestions for books I've never even Nay Jun 2012 #13
The first great modern one is a worthy exemplar - Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga. nt dmallind Jun 2012 #14
Here are a few TuxedoKat Jul 2012 #15
Yes, I remember reading a number of Howatch's books and liking them -- I'll have to reread Nay Jul 2012 #17
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