Centenary at Jalna

Jalna #16

by Mazo de la Roche

First published in 1958, Centenary at Jalna brings us to 1953 when the Whiteoaks gather to mark the 100th anniversary of their estate. It has now been a century since Captain Philip and Adeline Whiteoak arrived in Canada and built their legacy. While this should be a time of festivity for the clan, tension and discontent surround the forthcoming marriage of a new generations Adeline and Philip, grandchildren of the originals. To make matters worse, young Dennis risks tragedy and Wakefield finds himself in a doomed relationship. As the celebrations loom closer, the question remains: Will the Whiteoaks be able to overcome their difficulties one last time? This is book 16 of 16 in The Whiteoak Chronicles.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Historical, Family Saga, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, Romance

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Mazo de la Roche, born Mazo Louise Roche, was the author of the Jalna novels, one of the most popular series of books of her time.

The Jalna series consists of sixteen novels that tell the story of the Canadian Whiteoak family from 1854 to 1954, although each of the novels can also be enjoyed as an independent story. In the world of the Whiteoaks, as in real life, people live and die, find success and fall to ruin. For the Whiteoaks, there remains something solid and unchanging in the midst of life's transience--the manor house and its rich surrounding farmland known as "Jalna." The author, Mazo de la Roche, gave the members of her fictitious family names from gravestones in Ontario's New Market cemetery, and the story itself balances somewhere between fact and fiction. Critics think events in the novels reflect de la Roche's dreams, moods, and life experiences. As the daughter of a traveling businessman, she may have seen the Jalna estate as the roots she never had, while the character Finch, from Finch's Fortune, is thought to be a reflection of herself.

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

CENTENARY AT JALNA is, to my mind, a book of superior quality. I would rank it with JALNA, WHITEOAKS OF JALNA and FINCH'S FORTUNE as the best of the series. Here we explore the troubled world of young Dennis Whiteoak, Finch's "bad seed" son by Sarah. Sarah is long dead in 1953, and Finch is now married to the sweet-natured Sylvia. This second marriage proves very happy except for the presence of his son. As the reader can see, Finch is unsettled by Dennis's eerie resemblance to Sarah. Dennis is intensely possessive and neurotic, just as she was. He adores his father, but Finch just doesn't or can't love him back. Finch is, in fact, the worst father imaginable. He alternates between neglect, indifference and outright cruelty in his treatment of the child. Dennis predictably "acts out" and grows jealous of the new stepmother who (in his mind) has stolen Finch away from him. This story ends in tragedy, and that's probably why many readers don't like CENTENARY AT JALNA. However, I would recommend the book for its psychological realism. Mental illness, emotional abuse and suicide are tough subjects but God knows, they do happen in real life...

Another soap opera storyline deals with the Wakefield-Molly incest, recycled for shock effect. And then there's the question of which suitor will get the beautiful Adeline, who's at loose ends since Fitzturgis' rebound marriage. Readers probably won't be happy with the wedding that Renny callously arranges for his daughter, but Mazo de la Roche intended to work out Adeline's ultimate fate in later volumes. Unfortunately, however, de la Roche died before completing her grand design, whatever that may have been, and so this final book of the series leaves many questions unanswered.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though 100 years have passed since The Building of Jalna, I don't feel De La Roche was through with Jalna and the Whiteoaks and would have written more if she had been able. Young Adeline seems far too compliant in bending to her father's wishes about a spouse. Isn't she supposed to be original Adeline re-incarnated? And which came first? Is Dennis a demon child because his father is emotionally distant, if not abusive, or is Finch distant because his son is a demon child? Be this I can judge, Finch is the most selfish of the brothers, Rennie is the sexiest, and Piers is the one you should want to marry.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book was a lot darker than previous ones in the series. The members of the Whiteoak family engender a lot of emotions -- love to hate them, love them, want to wring their necks, wonder what the heck?, etc. I loved this series in my teens, and in rereading I was remembering what would happen as I went along until I got to the last couple. Did not remember that and was totally surprised. Leaves me wanting more. But I had fun getting my own collection from used book stores across the U.S. and Canada. I like my mismatched collection.

[Meg Ulmes · Rating 1 out of 5]

This last book ruined my enjoyment of the Jalna series. It is perverse, dark, and somewhat perverted. All the supposedly intelligent adults in this family and they can't recognize a young, violent, murderous sociopath among them--and don't care enough to stop him from killing? I wish that I had not read it and I recommend it to no one. What a horrible ending to what I had thought was a fabulous series of novels. Left me with a sick feeling.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

New favourite for long term, for sure! ❤️

E al doilea volum din seria Jalna pe care-l citesc, nu în ordinea cronologică a întâmplărilor. Cartea de față este o încheiere, o îmbrățișare ce le cuprinde pe toate 15 în interiorul ei, iar majoritatea capitolelor sunt mici concluzii din Concluzie.
Autoarea alege să încheie seria prin reîntoarcerea la originile clanului prin "reincarnarea" primelor 2 personaje care au făcut posibilă toată aceasta poveste ce se întinde pe o perioadă de 100 de ani, ceea ce te trece prin un tumult de emoții din cele mai diferite dar îți și lasă impresia că lumea Janei e sortită să se învârte într-un cerc vicios al repetării acelorași povești și destine din generații trecute.

Abia aștept să fac rost și de celelalte volume. Deși sunt toate legate de același punct cardinal-Jalna- fiecare carte poate fi citită independent. Pentru mine e ca și o călătorie în timp, l-am văzut pe Finch adolescent în volumul prim citit, aici l-am văzut tată a doi copiii. Abia aștept să decopar veriga ce leagă cele doua perioade. Situație valabilă și pentru celelalte personaje.


Doar câteva din citate:
Din categoria "cuvinte ce rămân în inima și minte":
Din prag vedea frunzele căzând, unele îngălbenite, altele încă verzi, dar cele mai multe erau roșii și galben-aurii. Semănau cu minutele orei, cu orele zilei, cu zilele anului, cu anii vieții. (p.137)

La urma urmei, nu sîntem mai mult decât acești fulgi de zăpadă. (p.185)

Oamenii vin și pleacă; ea nu se întreba niciodată unde, nici de ce. (p.103)

Din categoria sarcasm:
Eu pe femei le-am respectat întotdeauna. De aceea nu m-am însurat cu niciuna. (p.120)
.... și multe altele imposibil de trecut aici, cartea este impregnată cu personalități cu un simț al umorului delicios.

Din categoria "cuvinte ce se simt ca o poezie"

Ești mai frumos decât un păianjen, mai parfumat decât un trandafir. ⚘️ (p.267)

[Judy Newson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of the Whiteoak family saga books. I can't believe it's all over! I have lived with this family for the last few months with a few gaps and now it is left to me to imagine how their stories could continue. This book felt in some ways an anti-climax as I suppose I was hoping it would end with everybody's lives all sorted and ready for living happily ever after but that in itself would be wrong as real life is not like that. However there was a lot of unhappiness and darkness in this book and I feel a bit deflated at the ending. My journey with the Whiteoaks is now over, I have thoroughly enjoyed it but it is probably time for us to part!

[Magda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning, these books are highly addictive. The Whiteoak family gives every reader a warm welcome. And after a few pages you become a part of the family. You laugh with them, cry with them, mourn those who passed and celebrate weddings. And once you've read all the books, you just want some more.

16 books... well, it was quite a journey. And I enjoyed every page of it :)

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Centenary At Jalna, published in 1958, is the sixteenth and final book chronologically in the series. It is 1953 at Jalna. As the family prepares for the 100th anniversary of the building of the house, plots abound.

Renny is determined Adelina should marry one of her cousins, and who better than one of Piers Whiteoak's sons?

Roma returns home an engagement party and announces her own engagement. Hearts are breaking at Jalna.

Finch has married Sylvia, but their happiness is marred by his jealous and possessive son. A birth and birth mar the Christmas holidays. Dennis has grown to be a disturb and disturbing presence in the family.

The book ends with Adeline's wedding, but there is so much more to the story we'll never know. There is also a 30 year+ gap between books 2 and 3. A lot happened in those years. Phillip I and Adeline's children grew up, went to school, got married, were widowed and got divorced.

After Adeline's marriage to her cousin, there were unhappy relationships that needed to be resolved and a new generation of Whiteoaks that needed their own stories. The Whiteoak saga will never be completed, but it is worth a visit, if only to see how the world has changed.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #16 in the Jalna series. The last book in the series, unfortunately, was not one of my favorites. I found the "bad seed" storyline disturbing, and am still sorting through the storyline about Adeline's marriage.

That said, I'm still glad I spent the summer rereading this series that I loved so much in my teens and 20's. I already plan another reread in a few years. I recommend the Jalna series to anyone who loves family sagas or historical fiction.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly bizarre place to leave the series. I hate it when authors tie everything up happily in a magical bow, but this is the opposite and almost as unsatisfying.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sorry to finish the Jalna series and say goodbye to the family. Unfortunately, this last installment was a little strange and didn't wrap things up in a very satisfying way.

[Jean Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of 16 books in this series was very good, as were all the others but interestingly, this was written in 1958. and she wrote Morning at Jalna two years later...in 1960.
One of the things that fascinates me about the series is that she did not write them in the chronological order which is the best way to read them . Now I need to take another look at Morning at Jalna (which is #2 in order of chronology) but tis actually the last book she wrote.
Centenary didn't have the feel of the finale of the series...did she plan to write more? Curious.
I'm sad to be done. I'll miss this family.

[Julia]

For the last third of the series I was so annoyed with the Whiteoaks, yet at the end of this book I wanted more... I think it's partly because so many problems where left unsolved and partly because I got so used to reading about one generation after another of Whiteoaks growing up and getting old.

I found it almost unbearable to read about Finch's treatment of his son. Every time I got my hopes up for Finch becoming likable again (he seems to be a great uncle) there was a scene with him and Dennis, and I hated him again...

[Lonesome · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dont know what to say except , what was the point of this ? the series have been like an addictive soap opera with lots of it contrived and unbelievable but you get into the characters and want to see where are they going and you keep wanting more of it even though it was getting messier , and this sorta of creepy open ending leaves one asking questions with no answers and no final thought clear on anything not even of jalna itself .
reviews of the time suggested bits of the material have been rejected and then forced into an unconvincing whole which makes sense .

[Janet Bird]

(Jalna #16) 15/- hardback with cracking dustjacket. How apt that I have this one that's set in 1953 when I was born. Never read this series but holds nostalgia for me as I remember all the books on the shelves at Stretford Library back in the day. Libraries don't have them now of course, just the one sound recording so thank goodness for Amazon et al. I will read it when I get the chance as it does say they can be read as standalones.

[Lkb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I agree with Meg Ulmes' review of this book: It was waaaay too dark and did not match the tone of this series. It seems clear that the author intended to go on with the series because of the many loose ends.

Readers who have gotten through the first 15 volumes are urged to leave the series at that point. This is especially true for people who are "triggered" by troubling scenes involving mental illness.

[Katherine Blocksdorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised by the ending!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last in a thoroughly enjoyable series, I shall miss the Whiteoaks of Jalna.

[Senga Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rodzina świętuje jubileusz, ale w międzyczasie trwają rozważania kto osiądzie w posiadłości i będzie dalej kontynuował ród.

[Voirrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had such pleasure going back and re-reading this series I first read as a teenager, from the point in the story of the first book the author wrote in the series right to this final one. (I haven't bothered to re-read the ones, written after that first book, looking at the earlier period.)

In many ways they are clearly stories of their own time - but still a pleasant way to fill my time.

I think it a shame that de la Roche wrote no further as there are so many loose ends still, at this point. In that way these books are actually ripe for fanfic - such a pity that they are now so rarely read that no-one is likely to write any!

[Elinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel very sad to say goodbye to the Whiteoaks, who have occupied so many of my thoughts in the past six months. Like other reviewers, I was upset by the tragedy that befalls one of the most likable characters and disappointed in Adeline’s choice of a husband. There is an unfinished feel about this novel and apparently the author died before having the chance to continue the family saga. Having said that, she did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life over all sixteen books and they have given me many hours of pure enjoyment.

[Zéro Janvier · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'avais dévoré tout Jalna quand j'étais adolescent, et si je suis incapable aujourd'hui de me souvenir de chacun des tomes qui composent cette saga gigantesque, je me souviens tout de même que j'avais pris beaucoup de plaisir à découvrir cette famille et ce domaine familial que l'on suit pendant presque un siècle.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love these books. I've read all that my library has and am trying to order them through the Ohio system.

[Carilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was obvious that she didn't realize this would be her last book in the series, a lot of unfinished threads in the story, and an unsatisfying ending to a 17 book series.