Born in Newmarket, Ontario, Mazo de la Roche was a prolific writer whose works include novels, short stories, plays, and autobiography. Her novel Jalna, first in a series of sixteen, won the prestigious Atlantic Monthly prize in 1927, propelling her to international fame. Thought to be inspired in part by the leafy settings of Clarkson and Benares, the Jalna novels chronicle the lives of the Whiteoaks at their family estate. The series was translated into many languages and adapted for stage, screen, and television, making Mazo de la Roche one of the most widely read and popular Canadian authors of her time.