First published in 1939, The Champlain Road is a sweeping, masterful historical novel by Franklin Davey McDowell that brings the dramatic and perilous world of 17th-century New France to life. The story centers around the grueling 700-mile northern route of waterways and portages taken by Samuel de Champlain to reach the Huron Country in 1615—a treacherous path that became the only lifeline not permanently closed by the Iroquois.

Set against the breathtaking but unforgiving Canadian wilderness, McDowell weaves a gripping tale of exploration, cultural clash, and the tragic fate of the Huron missions, including the martyrdom of Jean de Brébeuf. Earning the 1939 Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction, this incredibly researched and deeply atmospheric novel stands as a towering achievement in Canadian historical fiction.

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