Delight

by Mazo de la Roche

Delight by Mazo de la Roche is an enchanting novel that offers a deep and engaging exploration of its protagonist’s quest for joy and fulfillment amidst the complexities of early 20th-century life. The story centers around Delight, a character whose pursuit of happiness and contentment unfolds against a richly detailed backdrop of Canadian society. Through her interactions and experiences, the novel delves into themes of personal discovery, the search for meaning, and the transformative power of love and relationships. de la Roche’s evocative prose brings to life Delight’s journey, capturing her moments of introspection and the challenges she faces as she seeks to navigate her own desires and ambitions. The book’s compelling narrative and richly drawn characters offer readers a window into the protagonist’s inner world, providing a poignant exploration of the nature of delight and its impact on one’s life. With its blend of emotional depth and societal observations, Delight stands out as a thought-provoking and heartwarming addition to de la Roche’s body of work.

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1961

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.