Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

"The River is Waiting" by Wally Lamb is a profound and evocative novel that weaves together the complexities of human emotion, identity, and the unyielding passage of time. Lamb, known for his deeply moving and character-driven narratives, once again delivers a story that resonates on multiple levels.

The novel centers around the lives of several interconnected characters, each grappling with their own personal demons and seeking solace in the small, picturesque town that the river runs through. At the heart of the story is Emily, a woman struggling to come to terms with a tragic loss, and Sam, a man trying to rebuild his life after a series of poor decisions. Their paths cross, and together they embark on a journey of healing, redemption, and self-discovery.

Lamb's writing is lyrical and poignant, painting vivid pictures of the characters' internal and external landscapes. His ability to delve into the psyche of his characters, revealing their fears, hopes, and vulnerabilities, is truly remarkable. The narrative flows like the river itself, sometimes serene and contemplative, at other times tumultuous and unpredictable.

The themes of grief, forgiveness, and the search for meaning are expertly woven throughout the novel, making it a deeply introspective and thought-provoking read. Lamb's exploration of these themes is nuanced and empathetic, offering readers a glimpse into the complexities of the human experience.

The river, a central symbol in the novel, serves as a metaphor for the characters' journeys. Its ever-changing nature reflects their struggles and triumphs, adding a layer of depth to the story. Lamb's descriptions of the natural world are vivid and immersive, making the setting almost a character in its own right.

"The River is Waiting" is a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant novel that showcases Wally Lamb's talent for creating rich, multi-dimensional characters and compelling narratives. It is a testament to the power of storytelling and the resilience of the human spirit. This novel is a must-read for fans of literary fiction and anyone seeking a heartfelt and contemplative journey through the intricacies of life and love.

Not an easy read but unputdownable. A finely drawn character study. Corby is an artist, a husband, a father, an addict. The story is told from his point of view, and depicts a multilayered person.

I love Wally Lamb but find him hit or miss. Love the concept. Feel like the book needs some editing though, esp in the middle.

I waited NINE YEARS for this?!?!?!?!?!

WTF? I seriously cannot believe Wally Lamb wrote this. Like many women of a certain age (perimenopausal age, to be exact), She’s Come Undone was a coming of age gamechanger of a novel for me and one that I would never dare to pick up again at the risk of it possibly not standing the test of time. I Know This Much Is True was a huge winner for me as well and I have no idea why I haven’t ever got around to The Hour I First Believed because I own it (perimenopausal brain, most likely), but this was just terrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible.

The story here is about “Corby” (that stupid effing nickname and the character’s insistence that everyone and their dog immediately call him that upon meeting him should have tipped me off this would be awful right away) who is a super exaggerated over the top permanent victim of a character who got fired from his job and rather than (a) enjoying the ability to be a stay at home dad for he and his wife’s young twins or (b) actively looking for gainful employment instead doubles down on day drinking and prescription meds for his “anxiety” to the point where one morning he runs over and kills one of the kids with his car. (No I’m not spoiler tagging that, because if you are so dense you can’t see exactly what is being foreshadowed, then I feel real bad for you.) The rest of the book is supposed to be Corby’s redemption arc while in prison, but oh my word is this some painfully bad writing and storytelling. Like bad bad. Like ChatGPT could have wrote it bad.

A 4.68 rating??? No way. Do not recommend.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Every parents worst nightmare comes true in this elegant but heartbreaking novel written by Wally Lamb. Stunningly told through the eyes of Corby Ledbetter, an alcoholic father, who lost his job and is trying to cope in overall life but failing miserably.
You will feel every range of emotion when reading this brilliant book, and I mean EVERY emotion. It is easily going to be one of the best books of 2025, make sure to add it to your lists!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

I’m so excited to be able to read a new Wally Lamb! As usual, it is excellent. It is definitely a harder one to read than some of his others subject wise, but I feel it was handled well. Highly recommend!

I have love Wally Lamb since his first book, and I am well aware his books are emotional and often tragic, but there's always SOMETHING to temper the tragedy. This one was just TOO much, and the ending too pat and maudlin based on the tragedy of it all.
I just had a really hard time with this one--the "tragedy" was too much, and I couldn't stand MOST of the characters.
2 stars instead of 1 just because it's Lamb and I hope the next is better, more reminiscent of his earlier works.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest.

WOW I'm going to need some time to sit with this one to sort out how I feel about where Lamb took his story. I have all the big feelings about this book. Giving it five stars for a great reading experience even though my initial reaction was some of the plot choices disappointed me as a reader.

The River Is Waiting has everything you would ever want in a novel. Tragedy, Love, Hatred, Stamina, Friendship and Fortitude.. My emotions were swept away, in reading this novel that I could not put down. You’ll meet Corby Ledbetter, the main character, who is extremely relatable. If you don’t see yourself in him, you will definitely know someone who does.

There is no describing this heartfelt novel without giving the story away, so I’ll just say, this is a Masterpiece you do not want to miss. I Loved It, and I will be highly recommending this to my Patrons as well as my Friends.

A Big Thank You To NetGalley, The Author Wally Lamb and The Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

I really loved this story. Very good character development. The author was great at making the reader relate to both of the main characters—to see and feel both sides of the story. Very realistic. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prerelease copy of the book. I’ve always liked Wally Lamb’s books, and this one did not disappoint.

I have enjoyed all of Wally Lamb's books; this one was no exception. This story gripped me from the second chapter when the "tragedy" happened. Corby, a stay-at-home dad, takes care of his twins, a boy and a girl, whom he absolutely adores while also wallowing in his sorrow of losing his job by drinking and misusing prescription pills. The consequence of the tragedy for Corby is being sentenced to three years in prison. This is the story of life in the prison system and the atrocities inmates have to bear. It is brutal, violent and disturbing. There are some heartening moments with some characters like the prison librarian, but those are few and far between. This is a story of a family torn apart and a man trying his best to redeem himself, in spite of all the internal demons he must overcome.

I highly recommend this book to readers.. It was hard to put down once I started reading it..

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

WOW! This was such a tragic, heartbreaking, emotional novel that I could not put down. This is one of those 5 star reads that makes you second guess every other 5 star rating you've ever given because it's so much better. Corby's story will definitely break your heart. Most of this story is from Corby's perspective while he is serving prison time for an unimaginable, unbearable accident that occurs while he is under the influence of Ativan and alcohol. His struggle with addiction as well as his daily struggles with the bullies he encounters in prison are poignant, and i know this book will stay with me for a vary long time.

This book evokes deep emotions, making it a challenging read. The protagonist, Corby, is a stay-at-home father who finds himself unemployed and grappling with depression. His reliance on anxiety medication has escalated, compounded by his increasing use of alcohol. A devastating tragedy befalls him, leading to a prison sentence, which serves as the primary setting for much of the narrative. Within the confines of prison, Corby fights to survive and navigates a difficult environment. Throughout his journey, he cultivates friendships that impart significant life lessons. The question remains: will these insights assist him in reconnecting with his family outside? Prepare yourself with plenty of tissues for this poignant story. This book tore my heart out!

hanks to NetGalley for an arc. This didn’t quite live up to my expectations- and they are mighty high for Wally Lamb- but I liked it overall. The ending was good, and I liked most of the story. But I was SO OVER Corby feeling sorry for himself and speculating about what his wife was doing and if she’s met someone, and will she take him back, etc, when he gets out of prison. Honestly those parts were insufferable. But aside from that. 8 likes it.

I was so excited to get an ARC of Wally Lamb’s new novel from NetGalley. He is one of my favorite authors, and of course, the writing is spectacular. The subject matter, though, is HEAVY. Corby is an addict who goes to prison for the worst possible crime. The majority of the story takes place in jail, where we watch Corby try to rehabilitate. As I (surprisingly) found myself rooting for him, I started to wonder: are there some things that are unforgivable? Or does everyone deserve forgiveness if they work hard to make amends?

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon element for the advanced reader copy.

Spoiler included

I have loved Wally Lamb's writing since She's Come Undone, so I was excited to see that he had a new book coming out. Unfortunately, the publishers had a big miss on this, in terms of not providing a clear content warning about the "tragedy" that befalls Corby and his family: namely, that Corby accidentally runs over his toddler son multiple times. And that the murder happens on the page. It was such a shocking event that I couldn't move beyond that chapter; perhaps there is great stuff that comes afterward but I'll never get to it.

The consistent analytical tone of this story about a man who does the worst thing a parent can do keeps the tragedy of the main violent event from being overwhelming. Since the structure is journal-writing type chapters after the main event, you could make a case for this kind of introspection and analysis. But a lot of the dialogue sounds like formal letter-writing rather than the way people talk.

All this results in a story that is more instructional—about getting over addiction, treating somebody with addiction problems, marriage counseling, trauma healing, and dealing with the insanity of being incarcerated—than dramatic.

Particularly in the beginning, I enjoyed the instruction and even found myself contemplating what I was learning that I might apply to difficult situations. But this book is not the product of gut-churning literary prowess and by the end I was pretty detached. Even so, the ending was moving.

Nothing like crying on Christmas Eve as I finished this book! I won’t sugarcoat it - this book was sad in a variety of ways, but it was also very good. The subject matter was tough (addiction, grief/loss, etc.) and brought up all the feelings. The characters were fleshed out and I was invested in their stories despite the fact that the main character (and others) were both likeable and unlikeable at different times to me. A hallmark of a good book to me is anticipating when I’ll be able to pick it back up again, and that happened every time I had to put this one down. I also didn’t expect many of the things that happened which made it feel even more interesting to me. If you’re open to a book with emotional depth encased in a well-written story, then this book is for you!

Out May 6, 2025!

✨Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book!✨

First of all...huge thanks to Simon Element and NetGalley for allowing me to read this gem 6 months prior to publication. I remember reading I Know This Much is True as a teenager and all of the emotions came flooding back to me 20 years later with the story of The River is Waiting.

The story of Corby Ledbetter is one of the typical American. Faced with the same pressures of society, Corby is a stay-at-home dad to young twins. He makes a horrible decision that changes the trajectory of his life everyone else's in his family. His later years in prison are at times hard to read (two instances immediately come to mind that I will not be forgetting anytime soon).

Lamb faces head-on the difficult topics of addiction, dependency, prison life, and examines both the inhumane and most humane parts of a person's spirit. Bravo Mr. Lamb....this one may stick with me longer than your last book.