The story begins with a girl sitting at her drawing desk, gazing out of her window at a river that stretches toward the horizon. She imagines herself in a small silver boat, swept along the river's current through various landscapes:

Finally, the river winds through mangroves and opens into the expansive sea, where the air smells of salt and seaweed.

The adventure concludes as clouds gather and rain begins to fall. The girl "returns" to her room, looking out at the city through raindrops, realizing her imagination has taken her on a fantastic journey without her ever leaving home. Children's Book Review - A River by Marc Martin