Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kelly_e 's review for:
The River Is Waiting
by Wally Lamb
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title: The River is Waiting
Author: Wally Lamb
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unflinching • Tragic • Unexpected
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Corby Ledbetter is struggling. New fatherhood, the loss of his job, and a growing secret addiction have thrown his marriage to his beloved Emily into a tailspin. And that’s before he causes the tragedy that tears the family apart.
Sentenced to prison, Corby struggles to survive life on the inside, where he bears witness to frightful acts of brutality but also experiences small acts of kindness and elemental kinship with a prison librarian who sees his light and some of his fellow offenders, including a tender-hearted cellmate and a troubled teen desperate for a role model. Buoyed by them and by his mother’s enduring faith in him, Corby begins to transcend the boundaries of his confinement, sustained by his hope that mercy and reconciliation might still be possible. Can his crimes ever be forgiven by those he loves?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Wally Lamb wrote one of my all-time favourite books, I Know This Much Is True, so I was beyond excited when I heard he'd be releasing a new book in 2025. The River Is Waiting easily became one of my most anticipated releases without even having read the synopsis, yet it was the synopsis that convinced me this would be a book I would absolutely love and I was correct.
I finished this book with tears streaming down my face - always the sign of a fantastic read. It is a book to savour and doesn't shy away from the harsh realties of what it means to be human. It offers an in depth glimpse into a flawed justice system and the grips of living with addiction. It contains moments of utter heartbreak, yet at its heart it is a book about redemption and forgiveness that calls the reader to put themselves into the shoes of the characters. It doesn't deliver easy answers, rather requires quiet thought and reflection as it progresses.
Corby's character isn't always likeable, yet the story is written in a manner that asks the reader to offer empathy and compassion as the story unfolds. The narrative is structured as a countdown to his release, which worked perfectly with this particular story. Although there are a lot of challenging and difficult moments, it is the relationships between characters which truly make this a powerful story.
There is some political commentary sprinkled within its pages, which I suspect will rub some people the wrong way. However, I thought it was very pertinent and necessary in this type of story given the author is shedding light on the realties (both positive and negative) of life in prison. I don't know whether this story could be told without including it. I, personally, never thought it overtook the story itself.
The River Is Waiting was everything I was hoping it would be and I will be thinking about it long after turning the final page. It is the type of realistic and messy story that captures the full range of human emotions I'm pulled towards. A reminder that life is hard and of the complexities of human behaviour. There is no doubt in my mind it will be battling it out for my top read of the year comes year's end and a reminder I have Wally Lamb's backlist to continue to explore as I wait for whatever he writes next.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• under represented populations
• Wally Lamb's previous books
• current events
⚠️ CW: death, child death, grief, car accident, drug use, drug abuse, addiction, alcohol, alcoholism, suicide, suicidal thoughts, incarceration, confinement, injury/injury detail, bullying, police brutality, violence, rape, sexual assault, sexual violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental illness, anxiety, depression, panic attacks/disorders, racism, racial slurs, homophobia, animal cruelty, animal death, cancer, pandemic/epidemic, pregnancy
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Trump lies every time he opens his mouth and we all just shake our heads and let him get away with it."
"When you're an active alcoholic, you give up everything for one thing. But when you commit to sobriety, you give up one thing for everything."
"Yeah, 'the man' like to rewrite history because the truth makes him look so bad."
Author: Wally Lamb
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unflinching • Tragic • Unexpected
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Corby Ledbetter is struggling. New fatherhood, the loss of his job, and a growing secret addiction have thrown his marriage to his beloved Emily into a tailspin. And that’s before he causes the tragedy that tears the family apart.
Sentenced to prison, Corby struggles to survive life on the inside, where he bears witness to frightful acts of brutality but also experiences small acts of kindness and elemental kinship with a prison librarian who sees his light and some of his fellow offenders, including a tender-hearted cellmate and a troubled teen desperate for a role model. Buoyed by them and by his mother’s enduring faith in him, Corby begins to transcend the boundaries of his confinement, sustained by his hope that mercy and reconciliation might still be possible. Can his crimes ever be forgiven by those he loves?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Wally Lamb wrote one of my all-time favourite books, I Know This Much Is True, so I was beyond excited when I heard he'd be releasing a new book in 2025. The River Is Waiting easily became one of my most anticipated releases without even having read the synopsis, yet it was the synopsis that convinced me this would be a book I would absolutely love and I was correct.
I finished this book with tears streaming down my face - always the sign of a fantastic read. It is a book to savour and doesn't shy away from the harsh realties of what it means to be human. It offers an in depth glimpse into a flawed justice system and the grips of living with addiction. It contains moments of utter heartbreak, yet at its heart it is a book about redemption and forgiveness that calls the reader to put themselves into the shoes of the characters. It doesn't deliver easy answers, rather requires quiet thought and reflection as it progresses.
Corby's character isn't always likeable, yet the story is written in a manner that asks the reader to offer empathy and compassion as the story unfolds. The narrative is structured as a countdown to his release, which worked perfectly with this particular story. Although there are a lot of challenging and difficult moments, it is the relationships between characters which truly make this a powerful story.
There is some political commentary sprinkled within its pages, which I suspect will rub some people the wrong way. However, I thought it was very pertinent and necessary in this type of story given the author is shedding light on the realties (both positive and negative) of life in prison. I don't know whether this story could be told without including it. I, personally, never thought it overtook the story itself.
The River Is Waiting was everything I was hoping it would be and I will be thinking about it long after turning the final page. It is the type of realistic and messy story that captures the full range of human emotions I'm pulled towards. A reminder that life is hard and of the complexities of human behaviour. There is no doubt in my mind it will be battling it out for my top read of the year comes year's end and a reminder I have Wally Lamb's backlist to continue to explore as I wait for whatever he writes next.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• under represented populations
• Wally Lamb's previous books
• current events
⚠️ CW: death, child death, grief, car accident, drug use, drug abuse, addiction, alcohol, alcoholism, suicide, suicidal thoughts, incarceration, confinement, injury/injury detail, bullying, police brutality, violence, rape, sexual assault, sexual violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental illness, anxiety, depression, panic attacks/disorders, racism, racial slurs, homophobia, animal cruelty, animal death, cancer, pandemic/epidemic, pregnancy
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Trump lies every time he opens his mouth and we all just shake our heads and let him get away with it."
"When you're an active alcoholic, you give up everything for one thing. But when you commit to sobriety, you give up one thing for everything."
"Yeah, 'the man' like to rewrite history because the truth makes him look so bad."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abortion, Pregnancy
incarceration, anxiety, depression