The River Is Waiting

This latest book by the genius who is Wally Lamb is a corker! He is a master at depicting human failings which, even with the best intentions, cause very human mistakes and missteps. Corby Ledbetter struggles to remain on an even keel even though he and his wife Emily are raising twin children. He’s lost his job as a commercial artist, and is succumbing to depression and seeking relief in alcohol and “Bennie’s”. And then the unthinkable happens, and a tragic loss takes Corby into the netherworld of prison. He goes from despair to rage to hopelessness until he finds a sort of peace with his cellmate Manny, AA meetings, a couple of caring prison staff and his drawing. This novel is harsh and desolate, but we continue to find hope show more as we see Corby trying to overcome his demons. As the novel is told in the first person, we follow along on Corby’s journey into hell and back. We see the brutality of prison life, the damage that addiction causes on lives and families and the toll it all takes on the human mind. This man can write! This is a book I’ll carry with me for awhile. Powerful stuff! show less

It's 2017, and Corby Ledbetter is a stay-at-home dad to two-year-old twins Maisie and Niko while his wife Emily works. He's also secretly drowning — a rum in his morning coffee, an Ativan or two before the kids are up, telling himself it's under control. One morning, distracted and medicated, he loads the car, forgets he's only buckled in one of them, and backs the car over his son Niko in the driveway. The first twelve pages are described universally as some of the most devastating in recent fiction. Corby is charged with involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to prison. The rest of the novel is the long, brutal, uneven reckoning — Corby in prison bearing witness to violence and cruelty, but also finding unexpected kindness from a show more prison librarian, a tender-hearted cellmate named Manny, and a fragile troubled teenager named Solomon who needs someone to protect him. The river the title refers to runs along the prison perimeter and becomes Corby's anchor — the sound of it soothing him in his bunk, its current heading south toward home. Oprah's Book Club pick. Lamb spent twenty years volunteering as a writing instructor at a women's prison, and it shows in every page.

[May contain spoilers]
Corby doesn't make it home. He dies of COVID-19 while still incarcerated in 2020 — just before a release that was already in jeopardy after he was raped shortly beforehand. The final section shifts to Dr. Patel, his prison psychiatrist, and then to Emily, who in 2023 receives a letter from Manny, now released. He meets her and gives her a sketch Corby made of Solomon and a river stone Corby carried. Emily, confronting her own complicity — she had ignored signs of his addiction — decides to scatter his ashes in the Wequonnoc River, and invites Solomon to join her and Maisie at the riverbank. The ending is genuinely divisive — some found it profoundly moving, others felt Corby's death by COVID felt like a cheat that denied him and the reader any real resolution or reconciliation.
What I think: This is heavy, slow-burning Wally Lamb at his most serious — I Know This Much Is True territory. The opening is unforgettable and will stay with you. The didactic prison system commentary might occasionally grate on your sarcastic side. Corby is not an easy character to spend time with, especially early on. And the COVID ending is either devastating or a cop-out depending on your temperament. show less

Wally Lamb is a literary treasure, and the first chapters of this long-awaited book are heartbreaking. Emily and Corby are the parents of toddler twins, Nico and Maisie. Corby was let go from his position as a commercial artist a year ago and Emily, a gifted teacher, is now the primary breadwinner and Corby is in charge of the children. Corby is also an alcoholic and prescription drug user when he decides to take the twins to their maternal grandmother for the day after his usual early-morning rum and anti-anxiety medication. His plans are then to return home, resume drinking and watch television, while Emily thinks he is pursuing his job search. The absolute unthinkable happens when Corby gets behind the wheel, and Corby is ultimately show more sentenced to three years in prison for negligent homicide.

What follows is mainly the incarceration of Corby. Wally Lamb was invested and involved in a women's prison writing program, so his knowledge of the horrors of the prison system are well-founded. There is cruelty, racism, homophobia, injustice and a system that too often ignores human rights and dignities. Corby ultimately navigates these with help from unexpected sources and involvement with AA. He is upset over the infrequent prison visits of his wife, who is understandably heartbroken and raising Maisie as a single parent.

I disagree with others who are disappointed in the ending. I thought it was a perfect way to understand Emily's grief journey and for her to gain added perspectives of Corby's time spent in prison. Wally Lamb's prose is unfailing precise, as witnessed in his other noteworthy books. I look forward to reading anything he writes. show less

This was an excellent , thoughtful and touching read. Corby Ledbetter is a husband and father. When he is laid off from his job, he becomes the primary caretaker of young twins, Niko and Maisie. His wife Emily works full time. When an unimaginable tragedy strikes, Corby ends up in prison. There he struggles with guilt, loss, and the difficult life on the inside.

Author Wally Lamb has volunteered at a Women's Correctional Institute for many years, so I think his representation of life in prison is accurate. Much of the story takes place in prison. Corby befriends a gay man, a young man with serious mental health problems , and frequents the prison library. But the guards are brutal and sadistic.

Highly recommended.

After the end of 12 pages I wanted to put this book down and never open it again. I was devastated. I am being dead serious. What happened in this book just ripped my heart out. Omg, how could I read on...

Wally Lamb writes about tough subjects. The last book I read of his was The Hour I First Believed, which was about the Columbine shooting. I remember being blown away by the book. Could I feel the same way about The River is Waiting.

When I did a google search of The River is Waiting, I came upon a FB reading group that had a discussion about the book after the post of one of the members with the line, "Turns out I won’t be reading past the first chapter. Anyone else?" 296 comments followed with the majority encouraging the member to show more push on. So I did.

The story continues with guilt, pain, and injustice as Corby Ledbetter, father and husband to two young twins tries to redeem himself after causing unbelievable heartache to his family. Okay. My pain from reading the first 12 pages dissipates a little and the story takes on a different demeanor, it turns into a story of redemption and survival... and then, at almost 300 pages the author has to, again, rip my heart out. The heart I somehow managed to put back together from the first 12 pages. All I can think is "Why am I reading this book!?".

But I continue (because I hate to not finish a book and I only have 150 pages or so to go)... and I finish the book... and I just sit there quietly. I was trying to figure out if I really liked this book. Yes, the book was good. Well written. Threw my emotions all over the place. Can we truly say it was a good read when it was so depressing. I was emotionally drained by the time I turned that last page. What I can say is that this would make a great book club pick. There are so many things that the group could discuss. And I imagine it would be a lively discussion too. There are so many things I want to discuss! I honestly didn't see the ending coming. After thinking about it more, I can't see it ending any other way.

These characters will stay with me for a long time. They are complex and interesting. I unintentionally was living their story right along with them, wondering how I would handle certain situations. Wally Lamb is an amazing writer.

I wanted to give this book 3 stars for all the heartache it caused me, but I really can't. When a book takes you on such an emotional journey, where the lives of the characters really matter to you, no matter how depressing the story is, you have to acknowledge the writing. And the writing is great. The story, even though it was a hard story, was worth the read. show less

It's been a long wait for a new Wally Lamb book but this book was definitely worth waiting for. I loved all of his previous books but for me, this is his best book yet. It's based on a well written and complicated main character who grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. Even weeks after I finished The River is Waiting, I'm still thinking about Corby and his life.

Corby is struggling with his life. Even though he's happily married to the love of his life, his life is spiraling out of control. He's lost his job and become the house husband for his young twins as he looks for a new job. On the surface he appears to be doing a fine job at life but alcohol and Ativan have begun to be the most important part of his days. When a show more tragic event occurs, Corby is sent to prison and his grief over his loss convinces that prison is where he should be. As he struggles to survive life inside, he is sees people at their worst but still makes a few friends and is shown unexpected kindness from them. He makes friends with a tenderhearted librarian, a young teen and his flamboyant cellmate. As he sees the good sides of his friends, he begins to wonder if it might really be possible to be forgiven by his family but even with the good in his life, he still faces cruelty from other prisoners and guards. Can his family ever forgive him but more importantly can he ever forgive himself?

This is a long book and difficult to read at times. It's a nuanced look at love and forgiveness by others but more importantly how to forgive yourself. Corby is a character that I won't soon forget. This is the best book that I've read this year - maybe in several years. It's a book that you don't want to miss. show less

The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb is a recommended prison drama - highly for the right reader. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Corby Ledbetter lost his job and is now the parent who cares for their two-year-old twins Maisie and Niko while Emily works. He has given up on any job search and turns to alcohol and Ativan first thing in the morning. Then one morning the unthinkable happens. He gets Maisie into the car, is distracted by a neighbor and backs up over Niko, who was laying on the ground looking at ants. (This happens in the opening pages of the novel.) He was clearly impaired when the incident happens, is convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to three years in prison.

The bulk of the novel is Corby struggling to survive life in prison show more and the dangers inherent in the system. Since Lamb has experience holding writing workshops in correctional institutions, life inside the prison is portrayed in a realistic manner, capturing the cruelty and inequity, but also the small acts of humanity that can help. The narrative can be engaging, while it can also be a bit prolonged and assumptive as it covers in depth Corby's prison experience.

This is not an easy book to read and it was almost set aside after the opening horrifying incident. Corby admits he caused the tragedy that tears the family apart, but he can also be full of anguish and denial in prison. He seeks redemption and hopes for a reconciliation with Emily. He is a deeply flawed character, but no matter how hard he tried and despite all the brutality he had his character experience, Lamb could not make Corby into a completely sympathetic character for this reader.

There is no question that Lamb is a talented writer and he gets points for that but in the final assessment the narrative felt blotted and the ending of The River Is Waiting is infuriating. Fans will want to read it and will love it in spite of the flaws. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/04/the-river-is-waiting.html show less