My summer has started out with some very heavy, but very good reads. It's been awhile since Lamb has released a book, and this one was worth the wait......but it is a highly emotional book and very hard to read at times. I thought most of the characters were well developed with the exception of Emily - I just never quite connected to her. I appreciated the way the story unfolded.....until the end. The last 10 percent was disappointing to me for many reasons, and I would love to discuss it with someone! That being said, I highly recommend this read - it would be great for a book club discussion!

It’s been over a decade since I read a novel by Lamb and he tells as devastating a story as ever. Incredibly sad and well told portrait of love, addiction, and loss in this compassionate story of a dad serving prison time for causing the death of his toddler. There are no good outcomes for a story like this… but what traces of hope there might be are testimony to the small acts of kindness and courage which make life bearable through suffering.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and offer this as an honest review.

Corby Ledbetter marries his sweetheart, Emily and they have twins, Niko and Maisie. Life seems to be perfect until Corby begins to struggle after he loses his job. He starts to drink and take extra anxiety medicine during the day. A horrifying tragedy occurring and forever changes his life and the life of his family.

Good Book. It is Beautifully Written and Really Explores Such Difficult Subjects with Thoughtfulness. Very Dark, Disturbing, and Difficult to Read at Points. Really a deep look into the Prison System and what that has to offer or doesn’t offer. Issues of different sentences and treatment based on race and economic situations are presented. Wally Lamb has worked in a Correctional Institution for two decades teaching writing and this clearly shows. It is hard to find comfort or solace in a prison where often cruelty prevails. Corby searches to get through and find some light. He is an artist and through that and the library finds his greatest solace. Yet, can one ever really move forward when you have done something so wrong? Is it possible to put your family back together? All these are questions he frequently confronts and it is painful to be there with him. Yet, I did find his story real and compelling. The biggest fault I had was with the ending, as it fell flat for me. I think more could have gone into it and this just left much unsaid.

Thank you NetGalley and MarySue Rucci Books for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews for books I read.

Stop reading now if you want to avoid any spoilers for Lamb's new novel.

Okay, I soldiered on to the halfway point, but I just can't anymore. I was desperately hoping for Corby to get shanked in prison and die a gruesome, drawn-out, horrible death, but obviously that's not going to happen so I'm out. At the start of the book, Corby (ugh that stupid nickname over and over!) is a big man-baby who has lost his job and is now a stay-at-home dad to his two adorable toddler twins. Poor, poor Corby. Your life is so unfair. You'd better self-medicate with alcohol and Ativan, hiding it from your rockstar wife who deserves SO MUCH BETTER. Anyway, after his morning drinking and double dose of Ativan, Corby gets distracted when leaving the house and runs over his son who is playing in the driveway. Yep. I'm not sure I've ever used the term "trauma porn" before but this book fits it to a tee. Eventually, Corby gets sent to prison for 3 years, where he continues to mope and feel sorry for himself and makes every single thing all about him. The constant state of victimhood in this middle-aged white man was just unbearable for me in our current times and climate. There is no redeeming this character in any way I could accept when I'm still loathing him at the halfway point. When I saw another review mention that Corby's wife ends up staying with him, that was the nail in the coffin. Lamb is still a good writer, and I've loved his previous books. He also brings a level of prison knowledge that was interesting due to his work over the past years with women prisoners. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for a digital review copy.

Well-written, but with such emotionally difficult plot elements, it was hard to read. I empathized with the main character, but I am so relieved it's over.

Wally Lamb is back with a sweeping heartbreak of a story. The writing was classic Wally Lamb- beautiful. His character development is top-notch, per usual. Absolutely impressive.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an emotional and heartbreaking experience but so worth the read. Corby Ledbetter suffers from anxiety and depression after losing his job and becoming a stay at home father to his two year old twins. After a tragic accident, his life spirals out of control when he sentenced to a three year prison sentence. While inside, he has to learn to survive the harsh conditions and awful treatment by guards and other inmates, but there are small glimmers of kindness when he makes an unlikely friend and cell mate and some kindly staff. Throughout his time, he tries to atone for what he's done, but how can he ask forgiveness when he can't even forgive himself?
This book is an emotional rollercoaster of grief and guilt, hope and despair. I know this story will stay with me for a long time. I love Wally Lamb's writing and I was so excited to see he had a new book after so long, and it was worth the wait! I highly recommend this book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read I Know This much is True soon after losing one of my twins. It was a hard book, but I also loved it. Read She’s come Undone as well and life happened and I sorta forgot about Wally Lamb. When I got this one as an advanced copy months ago, something happened, I kept putting it off. Not because I didn’t want to read it, I had to mentally get ready and saved it like the last piece of chocolate to devour when the time was right. That day came and as expected I devoured this book!

Ok so the story is about Corby, a secret addict. Oh yes there are twins on this book. Take that as my trigger warning. Corby ends up in prison. The majority of the story is about his time in prison. There are some extremely nice characters that he comes across and a couple extremely bad ones. Over all the book is about choices we make, forgiveness, yes addiction/death etc but also touches on some history (how the puritans were in fact not very good people), slew of injustices, quite a bit of political context oh and of course parenting and trauma.
I found myself getting angry at Corby and also hoping for redemption. He is very much a child (who’s 35) and does majority of his growing up in prison.
There are many things one can pick apart in this book, yet, writing was fantastic and I genuinely couldn’t put it down once I started.

Poor Corby Ledbetter. Laid off from his commercial artist job, he's the stay at home dad to two adorable toddlers - twins - while his wife Emily works her butt off as a school teacher. To take the edge off of all the stress he's under, you know, getting turned down from all those jobs he's not applying for and burning the breakfast he's making for the family, he's popping benzos and chasing them with Captain Morgan's. Breakfast of champions. 

Corby is a whiny, selfish disaster and commits a crime so heinous, one we could see coming from miles away, that was so horrific that I almost stopped reading. But it's Wally Lamb, and this is a novel that I wanted to review, so I kept going. 

Things don't get much better for our sad sack when he lands in prison. He learns the ropes, gets bullied, fights back, blah blah blah whining the whole time. Poor me. Befriends a magical librarian, tries to befriend a magical Negro (that gets shot down quickly), befriends a magical Gay cellmate. But Orange Is The New Black this is not. 

I just didn't like Corby. The redemption arc didn't have teeth. The prison time was bleak, brutal, and gratuitous. It went there. And hit us over the head with the systemic prison industrial complex issues, as well as the colonization of the land and the massacre of the Indigenous by the American settlers. Throw in Reagan's war on drugs, de-funding mental hospitals, and ignoring the HIV virus in the 80s for good measure. The preachy factor is over the top. 

Lamb's She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True are some of my favorite novels. I went in with high expectations and it was a big miss. Trigger warnings galore (see above). I see tons of 5 star reviews though, so YMMV.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 6/10/2025)

It has been way too many years since I've read Wally Lamb (20 maybe?) and I forgot how profound and beautiful his writing is...even when it's difficult subject matter. And it IS a really painful read. it felt like the longest book because I had to put it down so often to just process and sit with my own feelings. If you are looking for a fluffy read, this one is not it. If you are looking for an emotional read, you will find it. Addiction takes center stage but it is mired in pain, loss, death, abuse, guilt and horrific scenes. Beyond all this, there is love and forgiveness and acceptance. A remarkably sad, yet uplifting read.

My heart hurts. This was really difficult subject matter to read. It was probably the saddest book I have ever read, but it had moments of beauty too. I felt physically ill several times throughout this book when tragedies hit. Make sure to check your trigger warnings on this one… especially if you are a parent of young children like me.

For those of you sickos who like their heart and soul shredded by a book, this one is for you. 😭

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for a honest review. I need to read some fluff to decompress from this one.

This was my first Wally Lamb book. I was devastated; I couldn't stop thinking about this book. It was so much. I loved his writing style. I'm now going back to his other books, and I want to read more. I've become a fan........ even though I was sad and devastated. LOL

I became so immersed in this story. It’s intense and sad but also hopeful and hard to put down. I wasn’t sure I would be excited to pick up a book that mainly takes place in prison but it was thought provoking and frustrating and also sweet. At times felt a bit long winded and drawn out but by the end it left me wanting more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my review and feedback.

Whew, this was not an easy read. I can rattle off a list of things I didn’t like about this book, but the more I think about each one of them, the more they kinda fit with the story Lamb is trying to tell. For instance, a good chunk in the middle of this book could have been cut out and not altered the story in any way (That’s a huge pet peeve of mine - I’m looking at you The Great Alone), but that actually fits with the fact that the main character is in jail and, well, jail life seems pretty monotonous itself.

Also, I didn’t like the main character, Corby. His personality swung between being entirely self-centered and having a hero-complex, between grandiosity and self-sabotage, but that seems pretty accurate for an addict.

Also, the ending was so abrupt I felt a bit cheated, but isn’t that how life can be? One little thing can happen and - BOOM - everything is different.

So are these cleverly planned plot intricacies, or did I just not like the book much? Maybe you could read it and tell me? Lol.

This is the story of Corby Ledbetter. His life is slowly going off the rails. He's lost his job, he's reluctantly a stay at home Dad to toddler twins, his marriage is rocky and he's battling drug and alcohol problems and just barely holding it all together. Then an unthinkable tragedy occurs, changing their lives forever. Corby is then sent off to prison. He is overcome by grief and guilt and really starts to spiral. What follows is such a painful story exploring loss, grief, guilt and if redemption and forgiveness are really possible.

This book is so well written, Lamb makes you feel like you are right there with Corby. It is deeply sad and very emotional, have your tissues ready. I did feel the prison parts were a bit too long and I definitely wanted to move on from that part. But then again, I think that was the point, so that you felt like Corby did. Overall, a really great book that I'm glad I got to experience. Saying you "like" it is tough because it was a pretty dark story, but there was definitely redemption and you're left with some hope at the end.

Thank you to @netgalley, @marysueruccibooks and @wallylambauthor for this #gifted copy. Pick this one up if you're in the mood for a great, emotional read. This would be great for book clubs as well, so much to discuss.

Wow this book will stay with me for a long time. I love Wally Lamb’s books, they’re always thick and rich with a heavy story. This one is no different.

The incident at the beginning was so hard to read about and kept me thinking about it a lot - feels like a trigger warning for child death should be put out there. The characters were so deeply layered. I pitied Corby and he drove me crazy. Same with Emily. But in good ways - I didn’t want to put this book down.

At one point there was something that happened (no spoilers) that felt like an actual punch to the gut. Like, I had to reread it several times and then step away from the book and think about what has just happened. So powerful.

The ending was perfect. I’m sad that it’s over. What a story. I don’t think I’ll forget this book any time soon, and I usually have a hard time remembering what I’ve read. This one will linger.

*I received an advanced reader copy through netgalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up

I started this book to earn a kindle achievement while reading the third book of a separate trilogy. I was just going to read a chapter or two and go back to my other book, but I found myself absolutely hooked by the end of the second chapter! Corby Ledbetter is the stay at home dad for his twin toddlers and has been struggling with addiction since losing his job. A terrible tragedy strikes his family, and Corby is to blame. Can he survive prison? Can he stay sober? Can his wife ever forgive him? Can Corby ever forgive himself?

This book is tragic, messy, and raw. I forgot how utterly adept Wally Lamb is at writing about and evoking the human condition. It's been far too long since I've read anything from him, and I was ecstatic to get my hands on an ARC! Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Element for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The River Is Waiting.

Master storyteller Wally Lamb’s latest and third Oprah Pick (by Lamb), THE RIVER IS WAITING, is so hauntingly realistic, intense, and emotional, you may think you are reading non-fiction or a memoir.

The title, 'The River is Waiting, ' serves as a metaphor for the protagonist's journey toward redemption and forgiveness, mirroring the flow of life and the inevitability of change.

Lamb’s first novel in eight years follows Corby Ledbetter, a new father whose marriage is upended after he loses his job and finds himself harboring a secret addiction from his wife, Emily. When Corby is involved in a shocking tragedy, he is sentenced to prison and must adjust to an entirely new life, which is heartbreaking.

Top Books of 2025!

About...

Cory Ledbetter, a commercial artist, is grappling with a difficult phase in his life. He's lost his job and is resorting to alcohol and pills to cope while trying to keep his secret addiction.

He is the husband and father of toddler twins and agrees to be a stay-at-home dad while his wife (a teacher) works, a decision that adds a unique layer of complexity to his life and the story.

But in the haze of alcohol and drugs, there is an unspeakable tragedy, a parent's worst nightmare, an event that involves the loss of a loved one, which will change the trajectory of his life, putting him in prison for the crime.

There, he struggles to survive where he is brutalized, bullied, and traumatized in the worst way possible by evil men (guards) and others, a place where everyone looks the other way. He is so ashamed that he goes deeper into the darkness.

However, while incarcerated, despite the harsh conditions and his trauma, he is met with kindness and compassion by some who show friendship and caring, as well as his mom, who is a massive supporter with her unwavering faith.

Will Cory ever be able to forgive himself as well as the others whom he has disappointed? If only he could redo his mistakes and this horrific tragedy. A past that haunts him day and night, and one he wishes he could change. How do you come back from this?

My thoughts...

Filled with his signature poignant prose, Lamb’s latest is a tale of heartbreak and forgiveness. The author compassionately finds a small glimmer of hope and healing in the darkest of places.

Gut-wrenching, dark, heart-breaking, and emotional, the hauntingly beautiful story tracks Ledbetter's journey from the tragic event that tears his family apart, through the prison, where he witnesses acts of brutality such as physical violence and emotional abuse, and kindness, small acts of compassion, and hope for forgiveness.

Have some Kleenex handy. The author does not shy away from the brutal acts and injustices that occurred.

Compelling and moving, no stranger to prisons, Lamb's work with women in prison for the past 20 years shines through as he features men instead of women in this engrossing tale that could happen to anyone.

The author established a creative writing program at the York Correctional Institution, a women’s correctional facility in Connecticut, where he has volunteered for 20 years. Lamb is also the editor of the essay volumes Couldn’t Keep It Myself and I’ll Fly Away, which are composed of writing from his students.

Immersive, profoundly moving, and thought-provoking, layered with the evil darkness of humanity and strong emotional themes of addiction, art, family, guilt, brutality, COVID, forgiveness, kindness, and redemption, with stunning metaphors, THE RIVER IS WAITING is a masterpiece.

Manny, his last cellmate, and Mrs. Millman, the librarian, are his Godsend (adored them), and the offer to design a prison mural allows Cory to express his thoughts, as a tribute to art and literature that connect us. A place where incarcerated men arrive feeling remorseful, resentful, or defiant, wondering how their lives went so far off track from what they imagined and if they are brave enough to face themselves without losing faith. (loved her speech)

The beauty and thoughtfulness of the mural are spellbinding. This is an unforgettable story (one that will break your heart), and it will linger long after the book ends, as do the characters. One of love, loss, forgiveness, and the choices that shape our lives…a cautionary tale; however, it’s also masterfully crafted while exploring family dynamics, human nature, personal struggles, and the injustices of our prison systems.

If you enjoy books with emotional depth, complex topics, beautiful metaphors, lyrical, thought-provoking art, literature, strong character development, and exploration of challenging themes found in Wally Lamb's novels, this is a must-read.

Recs...

THE RIVER IS WAITING is for fans of the author and those who enjoyed Clare Leslie Hall's Broken Country (another one of my top books of 2025) and works by John Irving, Ron Rash, Allen Eskens, Elizabeth Strout, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Special thanks to Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for a gifted advanced review copy via NetGalley for my honest thoughts. Truly honored. This is a classic and one for the home library.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
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I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The River is Waiting</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wow! This is an emotionally distressing novel. This page turner is told mostly from the point of view of Corby, a whiny addict responsible for the death of one of his children. For the first half of this book, I really disliked Corby who is full of excuses even as he is overwhelmed by remorse. His constant self-focus made me wonder what his wife, Emily, saw in him. His stint in prison initially appears too brief, but it is in that violent world where Corby finally demonstrates a character with grit and sacrifice that makes him sympathetic.

Lamb's depiction of prison life with its overcrowding and constant humiliation is stifling and makes the occasional kindness or gentle hint of humanity even more treasured. He does not shy away from the wrongness or evil that the prisoners may have committed, but neither does he draw them as less than human. Racial inequality, certainly prevalent in a free society, is highlighted within the prison as evidenced by lengthy sentences and the sheer number of black and brown prisoners. For Corby, it is a slow realization.

Lamb concludes the novel with a truly satisfying ending.

This story was so well done and I really enjoyed it. I enjoy reading from this author and I'm looking forward to the next book. The plot was really well explored and I enjoyed the overall story. The characters were great and I was able to dive myself into this book. It was well done and I highly recommend. This book was so good. I read his previous book and I will ready anything Wally Lamb writes. He just knows how to write a story and just captivate you from the very beginning.