A prequel in the Jalna series, this book explains the origins of the estate and its owners. Definitely a product of its time in terms of the sexist and racist views displayed but that is part of its interest. Lots of great characters and story threads. ( )

I previously read the first book that the author had written in the Jalna series and while, I liked it well enough, I decided the series would be better if I read about the Whiteoak family in chronological order.

The Building of Jalna by Mazo de la Roche lays out the marriage of the beautiful impulsive Irish Adeline with sophisticated, ambitious, handsome Eglishman, Philip. They meet and marry in India but decide to make their home in the country of Canada. They go back for lengthy visits with his family in England and then hers in Ireland, finally embarking for Quebec. After a false start they arrive in Quebec and although they like it well enough, they are living in a city and Philip wants to own land. They are encouraged to go to Ontario and find it suits them perfectly. They purchase property on Lake Ontario and proceed to build their home, calling it Jalna, after the Indian station where they met.

By the end of the book, their family has expanded to three children, they are established in their new home, and have become part of a close knit society. There are petty jealousies, parties and activities and the author has set the stage for the next book about this family. This is the first book of sixteen that will cover the years of 1854 to 1954. I found The Building of Jalna to be an entertaining read and I am looking forward to reading more of this series. ( )

Prequels are probably tricky to write. On the one hand, the author probably wants to establish a backstory for a previously-written book; on the other, some of the passion or imagination that brought the original into being may well be spent. The building of Jalna, the chronological first book in the Jalna series, was written after several books in the series which describe later actions and I think it suffers curiously from lack of tension. I like it that the heroine is passionate, illogical, sometimes self-absorbed and bickers with her husband, because if she didn't there would have been no story at all. Phillip Whiteoak and his Irish bride Adeline Court establish their family in rural Ontario. ( )

A couple sets up their estate in Canada. A fun, light read. Part of a series. Expectedly dated (sexist, racisist), and Adeline is rather spoiled, but it's still appealing. ( )