Included in NPR’s list of books is Gwen Roland’s “Atchafalaya Houseboat: My Years in the Louisiana Swamp.” Roland wrote about her six-year stint in the Atchafalaya River Basin Swamp in south-central Louisiana with her partner at the time, Calvin Voisin.

Roland had been about to start on her doctorate in the 1970s when she made a life-changing decision and instead committed to build a houseboat on a barge with Voisin. The couple settled into an everyday cadence supplemented with unexpected joys from living on the swamp, even without electricity or running water. Photographer C.C. Lockwood captured moments of their houseboating life and subsequently published them in National Geographic magazine, showcasing this unique couple. His original pictures are included here. Iowa Public Television is also broadcasting “Atchafalaya Houseboat,” based on the experiences of Roland and Voisin with three episodes airing November 11^th, 17^th, and December 1^st on IPTV.1.

To read more including an excerpt from Roland's book on NPR.org, click here. 

Photos credited to C.C. Lockwood