What do you think?
Rate this book
Jalna #15
Variable Winds At Jalna
In Variable Winds at Jalna, the immediate sequel to Renny’s Daughter, Maitland Fitzturgis and his sister, Sylvia Fleming, travel from Ireland for his official acceptance by the family as Adeline’s husband. Finch and Maurice also return, and Maurice brings with him his own problematic affairs of the heart. It quickly becomes one of the most fateful years that Jalna has known, and the story ends with more than one peal of the wedding bells.
597 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
6 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Mazo de la Roche
344 books59 followersMazo 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 4, 2022
One more and I'll have finished this series in 2022. My reviews of the previous books in the series say it all. I find her an under-appreciated author! I've enjoyed every book. Characters, pace, description, family saga. LOVE them all.
March 27, 2012
Pure soap opera, but I like VARIABLE WINDS AT JALNA. Baldly put, the storyline runs something like this:
Maurice ("Mooey") Whiteoak develops a drinking problem because of his unrequited love for cousin Adeline, who loves Maitland Fitzturgis, who flirts with cousin Roma, who jilts Norman Green, who jilts Patience (Meg's daughter), who marries author Humphrey Bell, who once had a crush on Adeline...
Got it? Adeline's "one and only love," Fitzturgis, comes out to Canada to marry her, but on closer inspection he doesn't quite live up to her rosy expectations. He breaks her heart by flirting with Roma, Eden's posthumous daughter who seems to have inherited her late father's propensity for trouble. And Maurice sinks ever deeper into an alcoholic morass. The book is fun but not especially profound. Yet for lovers of the Jalna series it provides yet another adventure, another happy escape from reality. And there's even a "second chance" love affair for Finch, the troubled musician Whiteoak who has been alone for far too long...
Maurice ("Mooey") Whiteoak develops a drinking problem because of his unrequited love for cousin Adeline, who loves Maitland Fitzturgis, who flirts with cousin Roma, who jilts Norman Green, who jilts Patience (Meg's daughter), who marries author Humphrey Bell, who once had a crush on Adeline...
Got it? Adeline's "one and only love," Fitzturgis, comes out to Canada to marry her, but on closer inspection he doesn't quite live up to her rosy expectations. He breaks her heart by flirting with Roma, Eden's posthumous daughter who seems to have inherited her late father's propensity for trouble. And Maurice sinks ever deeper into an alcoholic morass. The book is fun but not especially profound. Yet for lovers of the Jalna series it provides yet another adventure, another happy escape from reality. And there's even a "second chance" love affair for Finch, the troubled musician Whiteoak who has been alone for far too long...
August 15, 2020
Variable Winds at Jalna is the fifteenth book in the series. Published in 1954, it is 1950 at Jalna.
Maitland Fitzturgis has arrived at Jalna to meet the family. Adeline is anxious that the family like him. Mait is a bit overwhelmed by the large family. Although Renny invites them to live at Jalna after their marriage, Mait insists they must have their own home. Renny suggests they buy or rent Meg’s house. Meg declares she is moving into Finch’s house with Patience and Roma.
Finch and Maurice return from Europe. Maurice is still in love with Adeline. He has turned to drinking to deal with his feelings of rejection. He becomes close to his brother Nook, a painter now know as Christian, to distinguish him from his famous uncle.
Finch is anxious to move into his new house, but can’t shake Meg’s conviction that she is moving in too. His son Dennis, is also anxious to move in, but Maurice gets there first.
Severak engagements are announced. Several engagements are broken. Renny gives away two brides. Old friends return. Old friends depart. One of the old friends who returns is Clara Labraux. She is now married to one of Renny's associates. I found it interesting that Alayne and Renny never have a conversation about his onetime lover moving into the neighborhoods. It's hard for me to picture Alayne being that forgiving.
Mait’s “unhinged” sister Sylvia arrives at Jalna. Finch and Sylvia are drawn to one another, but he believes he can’t marry her because she once lived with a man without benefit of marriage.
Wakefield and Molly are living together as husband and wife. They facilitate a reconciliation between Finch and Sylvia.
Maitland Fitzturgis has arrived at Jalna to meet the family. Adeline is anxious that the family like him. Mait is a bit overwhelmed by the large family. Although Renny invites them to live at Jalna after their marriage, Mait insists they must have their own home. Renny suggests they buy or rent Meg’s house. Meg declares she is moving into Finch’s house with Patience and Roma.
Finch and Maurice return from Europe. Maurice is still in love with Adeline. He has turned to drinking to deal with his feelings of rejection. He becomes close to his brother Nook, a painter now know as Christian, to distinguish him from his famous uncle.
Finch is anxious to move into his new house, but can’t shake Meg’s conviction that she is moving in too. His son Dennis, is also anxious to move in, but Maurice gets there first.
Severak engagements are announced. Several engagements are broken. Renny gives away two brides. Old friends return. Old friends depart. One of the old friends who returns is Clara Labraux. She is now married to one of Renny's associates. I found it interesting that Alayne and Renny never have a conversation about his onetime lover moving into the neighborhoods. It's hard for me to picture Alayne being that forgiving.
Mait’s “unhinged” sister Sylvia arrives at Jalna. Finch and Sylvia are drawn to one another, but he believes he can’t marry her because she once lived with a man without benefit of marriage.
Wakefield and Molly are living together as husband and wife. They facilitate a reconciliation between Finch and Sylvia.
June 24, 2023
There’s plenty of action in this next to last novel in a series of sixteen, mainly affairs of the heart. A faithless fiance, a woman scorned, and a second chance at true love all take place among the seething mass of disparate characters who make up the Whiteoak family. As always, the flashes of humor and the lyrical descriptions of nature’s beauty keep this book from descending into farce. A very good read.
December 12, 2019
Oh no! The penultimate book in the series finished. I don't want this series to end.
December 31, 2022
A little trite but it ends on a lovely note.
February 23, 2023
Jalna choć wydaje się niezmienna, to też nie opiera się historii.
September 2, 2024
Valitettavasti sarjan taso laskee loppua kohti, tai oikeastaan hahmot eivät enää jaksa kannatella mielenkiintoa samoin kuin aiemmissa osissa, silti takuuvarmaa pakoa todellisuudesta.
June 22, 2025
Two years on from the last one and Adeline finally gets her Irishman to Jalna. Its not a success. The younger members are all on the way to being grown up with various degrees of success. Young Maurice is a bit insipid and pathetic, Nook (now called Christian) seems the most well balanced of all of them, Philip is rather full of himself because of his resemblance to his great grandfather, Mary is sensitive (oh, how sensitive!), Roma is a minx with no sense of family, Patience has all the virtues of her mother but without the selfishness and smugness, Adeline is still headstrong and determined to bend everyone to her will, Archer is a very odd character and Dennis is suffering from trauma and needs a good child psychologist. Of the older generation, Finch appears to be settling and its the funniest part of the book the way he circumvents Meg's plan of coming to be his housekeeper. There is sadness when Nicholas dies which is nicely written. With some extended 'family' members - Mait and his sister Sylvia, Humphrey Bell and the reappearance of Crowdy , Chase and an old flame of Renny's its reasonably good read. Renny is still so self centered and irritating. Alayne on the other hand is much more sympathetic. Piers and Pheasant are still the most normal characters in teh whole series.
September 1, 2016
In the 2nd to last book in the Jalna series, we finally have Adeline's Irish love coming to stay at Jalna - two years after they met in Ireland. Naturally Renny and the uncles dislike Mr Maitland Fitzturgis, but they all make an effort to get along. Without totally spoiling the plot, this is the book where young Adeline REALLY lives up to her great-grandmother's reputation by stoning a pair of unfaithful lovers! Subplots include Finch falling in love, Meg and Patience also finding love, and Pier's son Maurice dealing with his alcohol problem. This was one of my favorite books, although sad because the last of the 'original' characters dies at the age of 98 in a tear-jerking scene! Brilliant read though!
August 23, 2018
Book #15 in the Jalna series. There was so much packed into this Jalna book that it was an especially fast (and engrossing) read. There is sadness with the death of a beloved family member. Adeline's romance with Matiland ends predictably badly. Eden's daughter Roma causes trouble everywhere she turns. Finch has a stop and start romance. There are two surprising weddings to end this chapter of the Whiteoak saga on a happy note. I have enjoyed my summer reread of the Jalna books so much and I am sorry there is only one more book ahead!
February 25, 2016
Things seem much the same yet somewhat calmer at jalna these days. Meg is still her passive aggressive acquisitive best. Finch is his self absorbed worst, but uncharacteristically subtle in his machinations to get Meg out of his hair (for which I cannot blame him). Roma is as disingenuous and viperish as ever. Archer is a pill, and Dennis is pathetic, yet somehow not sympathetic. And reliable Piers sits back and observes with all his sardonic common sense.
March 12, 2018
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.
April 25, 2012
This episode of the Whiteoak saga was filled with events--not revealing any spoilers. But de la Roche is setting up the final novel which I just started last night. What will I do when I finish that one? I'm addicted to the Whiteoaks!
March 17, 2015
I love this old series about a Canadian family.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews