This is the first book I've read by this author, and I chose it mainly because his books have gotten great reviews. Based on this book, I doubt I'll read another of his books. I found the trauma drama too much, and the main character unlikable.

Corby Ledbetter is having a bad year. He lost his job, became a stay-at-home dad, and turned to drink. When he thought things couldn't get any worse, a tragedy occurred, he was sent to prison, and his life was forever changed.

I struggled to finish this book. It was depressing, and the political and social commentary, while contributing to the story, could have made the same point without the navel-gazing.. There were valid points, especially about our judicial and prison systems, but a good editor could have made this a much more interesting book. Corby himself seemed to miss the point about what he needed to do to turn his life around, and that is what turned me off on the character. This review will likely be an outlier, and I encourage readers to consult multiple reviews before deciding whether to read this book. 2/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is June 10, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element for an advanced reader copy of The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb in exchange for my honest review. As a fan of several of this author’s earlier novels, I went into this one enthusiastically but somewhat blindly. This novel features deeply flawed “Corby” Ledbetter as he struggles through addiction, trauma, grief and forgiveness. The beginning is painful to read as unemployed Corby attempts to hide his growing addiction to liquor and Ativan while caring for his 2 year old twins. He causes an unimaginable tragedy while impaired and is given a 3-year prison sentence.

The majority of the novel takes place in prison where Corby struggles to adapt to incarceration, while maintaining his sobriety and hope. The author held writing seminars for female inmates for decades, so prison life with all of its horrors and inequity is depicted in a realistic way. The monotony of prison life felt drawn out to me but the writing style compelled me to continue reading. Corby’s flaws, and minimal redemption ARC, made it difficult for me to sympathize with him. The bright spots are his cell mate Manny, one decent guard and the prison librarian. I did feel deep sympathy for Corby’s wife Emily, although I didn’t feel her character was fully developed, as she attempts to find forgiveness for the unforgivable. And although I understand the author’s decision for the ending, the actual event was frustrating and unsatisfying for me. Overall I think this haunting novel will be the right book for the right reader. 3/5⭐️

Trigger warnings include: addiction, child loss, sexual assault, suicide

Warning: this novel will give you a book hangover. I was so invested in the characters that it took several days before I could compose my thoughts. Like many other readers, I was introduced to Wally Lamb via the Oprah book club 20 years ago. It’s been awhile since he’s put a new book out into the world, and “The River Is Waiting” is worth the wait.

Corby and Emily with their twin toddlers, Maisie and Niko, are a typical suburban Connecticut family struggling with economics and household chores when Corby causes a tragic accident that changes all of their lives. Corby ends up serving time in a correctional facility. Normally I don’t gravitate to a prison story, but not this time. Lamb brings the many complications and contradictions of incarceration to life: the inmates, the officers, an inspiring librarian, the families, the work detail, the disparities in the justice system. The characters are well-developed and oh so memorable. The prison setting is not sugar-coated, but also not without hope.

Book clubs will find much to discuss in this novel where heartbreak is mingled with redemption.
Lamb is a master storyteller. This title will be on my top five of 2025.

5 heartbreaking stars

You should be prepared for a complex and emotional story when you read this one. Perhaps even have a box of tissues handy. I found it to be compelling, well-written, and filled with themes of guilt, redemption, family, addiction, forgiveness, the imperfect prison system, and sadness. I’m still thinking about it several days after finishing.

Corby Ledbetter is our main character, and his life is full of struggles. He is married to Emily, and they have two precocious children, twins. His struggles start with losing his job and not finding a new job right away. He volunteers to be a stay-at-home father for a while. Soon, he is drinking too much and occasionally even drinking during the day. There’s an awful accident, and Corby is sentenced to jail time.

This is not an easy book to read, especially this section. Does serving time in jail punish someone? Redeem them? How much time is too much? How do you maintain relationships while you are in jail? There are a lot of harsh realities to deal with here. There are the other inmates to consider, the wardens and their baggage, and what you do with all that time while you wait for the days to tick by. There are some decent people he encounters and others that have very dark hearts.

I wish we had gotten some chapters from Emily’s perspective. I can’t even imagine what she went through.

As his release date draws near, Corby wants to return to his old life. Can his family forgive him? Can he forgive himself? Will he be able to find a job? Will his marriage to Emily survive? Can he stay sober? These are all things he grapples with, and we are right there with him. I did grow more sympathetic to his character as he spent time in jail.

The author is familiar with the prison system, having spent over 20 years working at a women’s prison working with the women on a writing workshop.

This was a very emotional read for me. I found I needed a box of tissues by my side at the end. Corby Ledbetter is the father of twins, Maisie and Niko. He is married to the love of his life, Emily, but he is struggling. He was laid off from his job and hasn’t been able to find another one, he has two twins to take care of while his wife works as a teacher, and to top things off he is becoming more and more dependent on booze and drugs to keep him going. Unfortunately, this results in a horrific tragedy that will tear his family apart. Corby must now face the consequences - he takes responsibility for his actions and is sent to prison. In prison, we see him go through some horrible conditions and deal with cruel and brutal acts. Among the darkness, Corby also finds a few kind people. We meet a lot of characters in this book, but Corby is the main one. He is written in a way that makes you see his flaws, but still root for him to get his life back on track. We see the depths of his emotions and it is quite a roller coaster. As I said at the start, this was very emotional to read - but I loved it. I thought it was a very stark look at what can happen when we make bad choices, and how it not only affects us, but all those around us. I give this book 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on June 10, 2025.

Heartbreaking, gut wrenching, tragic, thought provoking and hard to put down! The River Is Waiting put me and its characters through an emotional ringer. The River Is Waiting explores themes of guilt, loss, addiction, anger, blame, forgiveness, bullying, choices, redemption, and marriage. This is not an easy read at all. It's a pull out your heart and stomp on it kind of book/story. Yet, it is so beautifully written and told, that I could not put it down as I soaked up the heaviness of the plot. I appreciated how the author looked at guilt, blame and forgiveness. How do you forgive the unforgiveable? How do you forgive yourself? Is there redemption to be found?

Corby Ledbetter is a father of twins who recently lost his job, is watching his toddlers while his wife works, and is secretly hiding his addictions. His marriage to Emily is strained and when a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy occurs it rips both of their worlds apart. Corby is responsible for the devastating loss and is sentenced to prison. There he will meet many men who will play a part in his life as he will play a part in theirs. He holds onto his hope of rebuilding his life with his wife upon his release....

Man, this book will kick you in the teeth. It is heartbreaking and I felt for both Emily and Corby during this book. We never get Emily's POV and there were times that I really wanted to know her thoughts. But this is a book about Corby and his journey. This book also looks at the prison system and life behind bars. The bullying that takes place there, the treatment of inmates, the handling of mental health issues, the flaws in the system, and the treatment of inmates.

There is so much to discuss with this book which makes it a great book for book clubs. This book evoked so many emotions for me and at times I needed to grab some tissues as my tears fell like rain onto the pages. This is a heavy, raw, and sad yet powerful book that may not be for everyone. In the bleakness of this book there are acts of kindness, expressions of love, supportive individuals, and moments of strength.

This book earned every one of the stars and then some. This is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Wally Lamb delivered his most powerful book to date. This book is raw from beginning to end. This is a book that is going to stay with me for quite some time.

Beautifully written, well thought out, heartbreaking, tragic, and evoking emotion. I highly recommend this book but know that it might have some triggers for some readers.

The River Is Waiting is a powerful and emotionally layered novel that explores the long arc of guilt, redemption, and human resilience. Wally Lamb has once again proven his gift for deeply compassionate storytelling, bringing readers inside the mind and heart of a man whose life unravels—and then, quietly, begins to mend.

Corby Ledbetter’s journey from brokenness to tentative healing is raw and often difficult to witness. Lamb doesn’t shy away from the consequences of Corby’s actions, but he also doesn’t deny him the possibility of grace. The prison scenes are intense but never gratuitous, and the glimpses of compassion—however fleeting—offer just enough light to keep you rooting for Corby, even as he wrestles with his own shame.

I appreciated the novel’s pacing and emotional depth, though there were moments where the narrative dipped into familiar territory for Lamb. Still, the storytelling feels timely and deeply human, asking uncomfortable questions without offering easy answers.

Readers who appreciate character-driven fiction with moral complexity and emotional heft will find The River Is Waiting both moving and memorable.

Oof. Oof. Oof. This book was sad, tragic, and intense. It was difficult to read, and I’m finding it even more so to review. There’s truly not a lot I can say about the plot without ruining the entire story for you, so that’s why writing this review is so hard for me. I apologize in advance for the vagueness of it. I went in completely blind with this one—didn’t even read the synopsis—and think it’s best if you do too. If you’ve read the author’s novels in the past, you already know that he writes deeply emotional and impactful stories. Well, THE RIVER IS WAITING will punch you right in the gut.

I had very complicated feelings towards Corby, the main character. One minute I hated him with every ounce of my being, the next I felt empathetic and compassionate towards his situation. His devastating journey is one that will stay with me for a very long time. I doubt that I’ll ever forget his story.

I sighed. I gulped. I winced. I sucked in multiple breaths. Heck, I even had to remind myself to breathe a few times. Like I said earlier, this was not an easy read. With all that said, am I glad I read it? Yes, absolutely. For three nights in a row, I was completely addicted to this book. I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way past my bedtime, frantically tap, tap, tapping away on my kindle. This story consumed me.

The conclusion did bring me to tears, so this is officially a five star read for me. If you’re a new follower and don’t know my golden rule—it’s that all books that make me cry automatically receive 5/5 stars. That’s just the way it is. THE RIVER IS WAITING releases on June 10th! Highly recommend!

I have enjoyed some of the author's earlier work, but this one didn't hit for me. It's one that I did not finish and might pick up again in the future, but just too dark to enjoy now.

I have been a Wally Lamb fan for decades…always a thought provoking read. Almost always heartbreaking. The River Is Waiting is another hauntingly beautiful story, this time about addiction and incarceration, and how the two can either kill you or change you.

Devastatingly beautiful story or resilience, relationships and people put in impossible situations. There wasn’t a page read which didn’t tear at my heartstrings. An emotional masterpiece I will never forget.

I love Wally Lamb’s writing style. I hope he writes another book soon. I will love to read it.

Wow this was so emotional and intense. It felt 100 pages too long but I get why it was. I was def a little wrecked by the end UGH. Be ready for the non stop trauma.

3 stars is a painful review for me to leave for the amazingly talented Wally Lamb but this was just so hard to finish. I DNF’d this book about halfway through and some of the reason might be time and place a- there is so much real life trauma that we are witnessing everyday that I just couldn’t t bear to keep reading about more. The writing is on point, as always, but this one is DARK. I know Lamb has done some teaching in prisons in Connecticut so I don’t at all the doubt the stark realism this book brings. I may try and finish this at some point and if I do I’m sure my review will change .

THE RIVER IS WAITING
BY: WALLY LAMB

I have been a long time fan of the Author, Wally Lamb's novels, and read all of them and loved them for his character development is strong with each novel that he writes. This one is just brutal emotionally because the writing is so powerful, and descriptive. It was very hard to read this because something happened that is so upsetting and catastrophic that happens early on that sets the tone for the rest of the novel. Not only does Wally Lamb develop his characters with layers but he also masterfully writes with depth with his plots. This took me a lot longer to read since I had to take breaks since this has so much intensity that I wasn't expecting. In terms of being uncomfortable I want to try and caution you that even though it's a superbly written novel, before picking this up imagine yourself thinking of one of the worse things that could happen to you in your life, because that's how you are going to feel while reading what happens here. Additionally, this is a longer written book with it being over 400 pages of feeling heartbroken with the tragic event that occurred. I think that I can only describe that I am trying to say that because I felt that it's content is very disturbing, and extremely dark, to consider that you will be affected. I didn't have the heads up about the specific topic when I chose to read this, but it does have acts of kindness but saying overall it's still was difficult. I am suggesting that this could be easier to process if you were to choose this as a Buddy Read so you could express how very sad you feel to one or more people, who have read it and I think it would be a little less traumatic since you could release the pain as you will each feel on this journey. Because you will feel pain, and I think having someone else to talk about the overwhelming emotions you will feel to someone whose feeling the same way can be instrumental in helping to continue reading this as opposed to giving up on it. As a person who read this, I can tell you that I wished that I could have read this with someone to share the grief I felt as I continued to keep reading because I was determined not to give up even though I felt tempted to stop because it's one of the most challenging books in terms of gut wrenching emotionally different kinds pain of that you feel while reading of human suffering people endure. I felt like I was on the verge of tears constantly as I continued to forge ahead that doesn't stop. Whether it had to do with people in power who sadistically felt that need to humiliate and punish those who weren't in a position to stop it since it would make their lives harder if they tried to seek help. I felt like I was suffering alongside the characters in the book with the countless indignities that those more powerful kept hurting those who were most vulnerable, and couldn't escape it because they knew it would only make things worse by seeking help or it was just hopeless. I kept on suffering the more that I read the more non-stop horrifying scenes that continue to happen to induce a pit in my stomach or I felt like crying even after I finished this. I only found relief when I was near the end. It felt momentarily beautiful the way Wally Lamb can make you feel that you are finally feeling that your witnessing momentous kindness that makes you realize that the way things turn out by so much suffering that you get rewarded in the end. All along you know that you are reading one of the greatest authors work and it's like you're able to step back and understand that you knew that the overpowering reward will be so profound at his brilliance and as expected you are suddenly aware that you just read a masterpiece. I knew that what kept me going was that I trusted this author had his reasons for all the discomfort I felt, and that the destination once I reached it would yield a huge payoff. I was so grateful that I didn't give up, and that Wally Lamb is such a spectacular storyteller my instincts were that I had to push through the pain, and that in my experience he would make it worth my efforts. I have read all of his books and I already knew that he writes so vividly that you experience what his characters do, since he's known for his strong writing that he delivers a realistic story. I will admit that this one is gripping, and I think it was the most emotionally charged one yet. It was full of pain, and suffering and you will be faced with the unthinkable, which I have to say that I do recommend it, but I think my review has outlined that this is definitely the hardest novel in terms of emotionally discomfort that I've I read. I think that you have to decide for yourself whether to read this or not. I don't feel comfortable enough telling you that you will feel like I did when I said it was worth it, because to me it was. It might not be for you, and it will be one that will be one that is unforgettable.

Publication Date: June 10, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Wally Lamb, and Simon Element--S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for generously providing me with my ARC, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own, as always.

#TheRiverIsWaiting #WallyLamb #SimonElement #S&S #MarySueRucciBooks #NetGalley

While I love the writing of Wally Lamb, this story was absolutely awful. I like a dark literary fiction but this one was downright devastating. From the premise of the accident to prison life to relationship breakdown to Covid, it was one loss after another. The world building and characterization was wonderful, but unhappy endings are only appreciated when there are a few wins sprinkled into the story, imho.

DNF While I have read most of Wally Lamb's work and enjoyed them, I just couldn't get through this one. Some of it has to do with the current political climate. I just can't do trauma drama right now. The writing is as stellar as any one could wish from from Lamb. His ability to wrench your heart from your chest is as present as it was with- I Know This Much is True. As much as I wanted to love this book, right now I need escapist reading, not tragic lives taken from the headlines. I am sad to say that, as much as I have waited for the next Wally Lamb, I just can't do this one.
Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

I was excited to read this book having loved Wally Lamb’s early books. It’s a devastating premise, a loving alcoholic dad, hits his son with his car and kills him. I was surprised that the majority of the book took place in prison. The writing has the author’s hallmark character development. He fully draws each of these characters with flaws and strengths. He treats them respectfully. This book reminded me of Andre Dubus III’s recent novel, Such Kindness. The main characters, lose sight of their goals and let their emotions rule them. I thought it was uneven. I would have appreciated a little less if the prison day to day and more of Corby’s recovery process. 3.5*

Many thanks to NetGalley and Marysue Rucci books for the advanced readers’ copy.

I wanted to love this book—Wally Lamb has long been one of my favorite authors, and his writing here is as lyrical and insightful as ever. But The River is Waiting just didn’t land for me. The description didn’t fully prepare me for how much of the novel takes place in prison, or how overwhelmingly sad and heavy the tone would be throughout. While the themes of redemption and human suffering are deeply explored, the pacing felt slow, and the ending left me feeling more deflated than moved. It’s beautifully written, no question, but emotionally exhausting and ultimately not the reading experience I was hoping for. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Element |S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books, and the author Wally Lamb for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Corby Ledbetter is a husband and father. After one tragic mistake, he finds himself behind bars. Once inside the prison system, he tries to lay low, serve his time, and return home. While serving his time, he encounters both kindness and cruelness.

I love Wally Lamb’s writing and have read many of his books. This was a tough one tackling some dark topics. I did still enjoy it.

I was very excited to see a new Wally Lamb book. I was so disappointed. This story was terrible. Sad, yes. Memorable, yes. But the writing was not as good as I remember Lamb's writing from I Know This Much Is True. I struggled to keep reading. I hated the story, hated the ending, hated the political references and the COVID scenarios. I would not recommend this to anyone.

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