The History of Emily Montague, written by Frances Brooke and first published in 1769, is often considered the first Canadian novel.
[1] It also features some elements of a travelogue, as the main letter-writer responds to requests to describe the colony of Canada in detail.
[3] The plot of the novel is a love story, but along the way Brooke includes many reflections on social norms and the relations between the English, French, Huron, and Iroquois cultures in Quebec.
[1] It received positive reviews in the most notable journals, and was reprinted in several editions during Brooke's lifetime.
[3] In 1921, an article by literary scholar Charles Blue, "Canada's First Novelist," made the case that the book was worth serious study, and since then it has been considered an important part of the canon of Canadian literature.