The Road to Goderich by Linda McQuaig

The Road to Goderich by Linda McQuaig is historical fiction of the highest calibre. Impeccable research, a seamless blend of fictional and real characters and polished writing are the hallmarks of this impressive book. The novel takes place over a thirty-year period, beginning in Fenwick, Scotland and ending in Upper Canada. An intriguing prologue by Emma Scott establishes that a mis-spoken remark sets in motion a series of unfortunate events that become the trajectory of the plot. An omniscient narrator then unspools the beautifully written story.

The novel begins with the adolescent Callandra at school in Scotland being punished for a trivial offence that places her youthful spiritedness and effervescent personality on full display. When she and her younger siblings arrive home, they learn that their father has died suddenly. With no one to run the farm and no other source of income, the family is abruptly catapulted into destitution.

Shortly after, when a visiting clergyman from Glasgow conducts her father’s funeral, he takes an immediate interest in Callandra. McQuaig’s description is worth excerpting,

There was much to study in this peculiar-looking man.  She’d heard that he’d come from Glasgow, due to the illness of Reverend Patterson, who had been the local pastor since her father was a child.  This preacher had none of Reverend Patterson’s warmth.  He was short, and had pallid skin; deeply set, narrow eyes; and strange, protruding lips.  His eulogy was almost completely impersonal, referring to her father only as “this good man” after once using his name.  He even had to check his notes before mentioning that Fenwick was the town where they were gathered together on this sad day.  It was such a sharp contrast to the eulogy that would have been delivered by Reverend Patterson, and its remoteness drove home Callandra’s feelings of pain and loss.

When the opportunistic Reverend Norbert Scott discovers that Callandra’s family is in dire straits, he proposes marriage to Callandra with the added incentive that he will assume the mortgage for the family farm so that her mother and siblings can continue to live there. Although she was repulsed by him, Callandra reluctantly agrees to the proposal.

Once in Glasgow and living with his class-conscious and wealthy family, Callandra is looked down upon and treated as an unwelcome outsider. The Reverend himself was particularly cruel and abusive, and Callandra’s only consolation is the warm friendship that develops with her maid Lottie. Meanwhile, the entitled and ambitious Norbert is determined to distinguish himself, and volunteers for a posting in the backwoods of Canada.

Travelling with their daughter Emma, Lottie, and a carpenter/handyman, the Scotts emigrate to Canada. The talentless Norbert’s posting is in Goderich, and the reader is carried forward over corduroy roads, unsteady bridges and through deep forests. During a terrible storm en route, an accident occurs that results in one death and a series of deep secrets.

The story unfolds against the background of the 1837 Rebellion and important discussions about the Huron Tract, the Clergy Reserves and the Family Compact. Callandra becomes imbued with the writing of Harriet Martineau and develops her own ideas about her right to make choices. However, when Callandra’s secret is revealed, a devastating sequence of events takes place. Emma writes the epilogue to the narrative.

This novel is wonderfully told with remarkable characters, an engaging plot, page-turning tension and a deep understanding of the political history of the period and locale. Highly recommended.

Described as ‘Canada’s Michael Moore’ by the country’s National Post, Linda McQuaig is an award-winning investigative reporter and columnist for the Toronto Star. She is the author of seven Canadian bestsellers, which have earned her a reputation as a fierce critic of the establishment.

Publisher: Dundurn Press (June 17th, 2025)
Paperback: 8″ x 6″ (368 pp)
ISBN: 9781459754898

Lucy E. M. Black

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Lucy E.M. Black (she/her/hers) is the author of The Marzipan Fruit Basket, Eleanor Courtown, Stella’s Carpet, The Brickworks and Class Lessons: Stories of Vulnerable Youth. A Quilting of Scars will be released October 2025. Her award-winning short stories have been published in Britain, Ireland, USA and Canada. She is a dynamic workshop presenter, experienced interviewer and freelance writer. She lives with her partner in the small lakeside town of Port Perry, Ontario, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island, First Nations.