The Narrow of the River

by Karen Desrosiers

430 pages, Paperback

Published March 27, 2026

Reviews

[Bookaddict]

This well-researched historical fiction novel tells the tale of Louis Hebert and Marie Rollet Hebert as they set off in 1617 for New France/Quebec at the behest of Samuel de Champlain where they will settle with their young children and brave the elements and other harrowing experiences to begin setting down roots and doing the never ending hard work required to build a colony. I was captivated by the story of the Heberts and learning about how Quebec came to be founded and established.

TW for pregnancy loss

[Martha]

The Narrow of the River is a fascinating work of historical fiction about the early settlement of Quebec in 1617-1622, when it was known as new France and began as a for trading post.

Karen draws on extensive research and incorporate real historical figures, many of whom are her own ancestors. I especially appreciated the way she wove facts into the fictional narrative with the factual information foot noted.

Rather than feeling like a history lesson, this book brings the people and the era to life. The central character, Marie Rollet – Hebert immediately felt both authentic unbelievable. It’s one of those books where when you put it down you find yourself wondering how the characters are doing, as if they are real people and you can’t wait to get back to reading about their lives.

I thought it very engaging from beginning to end and highly recommended to readers who enjoy well researched historical fiction.

[Liz]

Very informative story about the founding of Quebec. The author had obviously done substantial research in terms of the historical events that powered the narrative; but has also imbued the characters with personalities that managed to enliven the account beyond just a dry restating of the facts. My grandfather and his family journeyed from Trois Rivieres to the USA, and so I was pleased to get this small window onto the French Canadian experience, little of which had been known to me.