Mazo de la Roche 
Ringing the Changes 
An Autobiography

First published in 1957, Mazo de la Roche’s last autobiography is a vivid look at her life in Ontario, and a parting shot at her critics.



Mazo de la Roche was once Canada’s best-known writer, loved by millions of readers around the world. Her Jalna series is filled with unforgettable characters who come to life for her readers, but she herself was secretive about her own life and tried to escape the public attention fame brought.



In this memoir, de la Roche describes her childhood and her relationship with her cousin and life-long companion, Caroline Clement. She confesses her personal connection with her troubled character Finch Whiteoak and details her romantic struggles. Ringing the Changes is the closest view we have of Mazo de la Roche’s innermost thoughts and the private life she usually kept hidden.

Table of Content

• Introduction by Heather Kirk 


• Ringing the Changes 


• Prologue 


• I. Maternal Forebears 


• II. Paternal Forebears 


• III. Very Young Days 


• IV. Secret Play and Separation 


• V. Adolescent Pleasure and Pain 


• VI. The First Flight 


• VII. Clipped Wings 


• VIII. The Long Years 


• IX. The Changeful Years 


• X. Three Against the World 


• XI. We Two Left 


• XII. Jalna 


• XIII. Whiteoaks 


• XIV. Setting Sail 


• XV. Seckington 


• XVI. The Rectory 


• XVII. Canada 


• XVIII. The Cliffs and the Heath 


• XIX. The Winnings 


• XX. Whiteoaks — The Play 


• XXI. Farewell to the Winnings 


• XXII. Life in Windsor and a Trip to America 


• XXIII. Change

About the author

Michael Gnarowski co-edited The Making of Modern Poetry in Canada, compiled The Concise Bibliography of English Canadian Literature, and edited the Critical Views on Canadian Writers series for Mc Graw-Hill Ryerson. Gnarowski is professor emeritus at Carleton University in Ottawa.