A River Runs Under It: 40 Years on a Houseboat in Oregon looks back at how the author came to find her place in a floating home outside of Portland. Although she originally thought her stay would be a few years at most, Andrea Carlisle found herself staying on despite hardships and inconveniences, including a family of beavers living in her basement. The book contains a glossary of houseboat terminology with funny or poignant anecdotes helping to define each term. Photos of houseboat life, including bird and animal life, are sprinkled throughout the text.