Northwest Passage (novel)

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Northwest Passage is a historical novel by Kenneth Roberts, published in 1937. It centers on the exploits and character of Robert Rogers, the leader of Rogers' Rangers, who were a colonial force fighting with the British during the French and Indian War.

Structurally, Northwest Passage is divided into two halves. The first half is a carefully-researched, day-by-day recreation of the raid by Rogers' Rangers on the Indian village at Saint-François, Quebec. The second half of the novel covers Rogers' later life in London, England and Fort Michilimackinac, Michigan. Roberts' decision to cover the novel's material in two distinct halves followed the actual trajectory of Rogers' life.

The Saint-François raid, depicted in the first half of the novel, inspired the 1940 movie with the same title, starring Spencer Tracy. The producers' decision to concentrate on the first half of the novel allowed the film to have a happy ending.