A Year on the River
A Year on the River was inspired by my family’s real life living on a boat. We live just off a quiet stretch of river in the Pacific Northwest, where the seasons unfold gently but unmistakably. You start to recognize them not by the calendar, but by the birds that arrive, the sounds of frogs in the evening, the feel of the air. You learn to notice small things—subtle shifts in the water, the return of familiar animals, the way the light changes across the surface each month.
I didn’t grow up on boats. I had barely been on one before I became a fisheries observer working on commercial fishing vessels in Alaska—a job that surprised a lot of people, including my family. But I had always wanted to see Alaska, and I knew it would be a chance to meet all kinds of people and see wildlife most people never get to experience. I was right. I saw whales, seabirds, fish, and entire landscapes I’ll never forget. Even more unexpectedly, I met my future husband on a research vessel.
While we were still getting to know each other, we used to talk about how fun it would be to live on a boat full time. We’d send each other listings and daydream about what we’d want in a floating home. One day, we went to see one of those boats in person—and fell in love with it. Not long after, we moved aboard full-time and made our home on the river.
A few months later, we found out we were expecting a baby. Our daughter is now almost three, and boat life is all she’s ever known. She’s used to walking down ramps and docks to get home, to feeling the boat shift beneath her feet when a barge passes, to having ducks beg for snacks at the windows. The river is part of her childhood—and ours.
This book doesn’t show the people who live there, but it reflects their experience. It’s about the feeling of waking up each day in a place where you’re surrounded by the natural world. It’s a quiet celebration of rhythm, place, and presence—an invitation for children (and grown-ups) to slow down and notice what’s happening around them, wherever they are.
The Heart Behind the Book
Reflection Questions
How do you know when a new season is coming?
What does your favorite season smell or sound like?
Is there a place in your life that changes with the seasons, like the river in the book?
Have you ever sat quietly and listened to the world around you? What did you notice?
If you lived on the river, what do you think you’d hear when you wake up?
What animals live near water where you live?
If you could be any river animal for a day, what would you be and why?
What’s something you’ve learned by paying close attention?
