It’s been ten years since Wally Lamb last released a book and this return is a true tour de force. The book opens with heartache and doesn’t let up. Our main character, Corby, permanently changes the path of his life when he begins day-drinking and self-medicating. He’s sentenced to prison after causing a devastating accident, where he slowly begins his redemption arc. Set mostly on the “inside,” the book is disturbing in its portrayal of the United States penal system, addiction, and enduring love. Five stars.

Told in the first person, The River is Waiting follows the aftermath of a tragic accident in the Wells family, which leads to Corby, a husband and father, serving a three-year prison sentence. The sometimes violent realities and cruelness of prison life can be difficult to witness, but there are also touching moments of kindness. Since the story is told from Corby’s perspective, the reader is fully immersed in his thoughts, and at times, the narration feels cluttered with unnecessary, meandering details. While I understand the authors point in wanting us to live in Corby‘s head, I can’t help but wonder how the book might have felt if written in the third person with tighter editing. Due to the degree of both physical and emotional abuse, this is not a book I would adopt or suggest to teenagers.

It has been several years since my book club read and had a lively discussion about two of [author: Wally Lamb]’s stories [book: She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True]. When I heard he has out a new novel, I immediately contacted members of my “Reading Between the Wines’- Book Club’, to let them know.
I also read [book: We are Water] which was also great.

I went into this story not knowing anything about the story but I knew I wanted to read a Wally Lamb story.
Story starts with Corey Ledbetter who is an artist but recently lost his job from the two-person art department at an advertising firm and is now a full time dad to his two year old twins. Unfortunately he also has turned to alcohol and pills in his depression.

Corey ells his wife Emily that he has an interview that looks like it will take most of the day. The twins will be fine at Grammy’s. Emily is excited and supportive.
As Corey s packing the kids in the car, he sees his neighbors and starting talking to them as he backs out. The neighbor starts screaming and at first I didn’t know why and then I too wanted to scream as I knew what was happening. .

Yes an unbearable tragedy happened and Corey found guilty and must serve a sentence as well attend a 12-Step Program.

Story follows Corey's horrible stay in prison starting with Day of 1,095. It continues for nearly three years. Including when he is about to be released. Although things were terrible in prison, Corey’s cellmate turns out to be a great support and someone who wins our hearts.
Story is sad as well as a very emotional read. It does end with readers understanding the meaning of the title.

I want to Thank NetGalley and Publisher Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for this emotional as well as thoughtful early E-galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 6, 2025.

This book is sad in many ways but it is also very good. The book details extreme grief and addiction and is heartbreaking to read. It’s a book full of memorable characters, a compelling storyline and an emotional ending. Overall I felt it portrayed prison well and made me really think about inmates and how to best help those incarcerated. That ending was brutal though!

Wally Lamb waited almost a decade to write The River is Waiting. The book that emerged after that long wait is powerful and was certainly worth the wait. Wally Lamb is a well known author and this book about a young father’s horrible mistakes and its consequences is gut wrenching.
Corby Ledbetter is the father of two year old twins Maisie and Niko. He is suffering depression after the loss of his job. His wife Emily has become the main provider for the family while he has taken on the role of raising the children. He is depressed and has begun using Ativan and alcohol to get through the day. It only takes a second of inattention for tragedy to strike, and Niko dies as a result of Corby’s carelessness and alcoholism.
This haunting book focuses on his guilt and unbearable need for contrition. He can barely live with himself and wonders if his wife will ever forgive him. Corby chooses to plead guilty and take responsibility for his actions.
Lamb shows us life from a different perspective now. We now see Ledbetter navigating Yates Correctional Prison doing hard time. He is among fellow inmates, hardened skinheads, twisted prison guards and a few kind souls sprinkled among them.
Can mercy and self forgiveness be found inside the thick walls of such a place? Lamb introduces us to a whole new storyline once we enter those prison doors. I truly loved this book. It was complex and gave us many rich characters to examine and enjoy.
I would like to thank Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this excellent book. These opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. WALLY LAMB IS BACK! I could not contain my excitement when I saw Wally Lamb was publishing a book this year! It was just as emotional as his past books and of course contained many powerful lessons. Readers will eat this up like I did. Get the tissues out!

Thank you NetGalley and the published for the opportunity to read The River is Waiting in exchange for an honest review. This is my first Wally Lamb book. (She's Come Undone is on my list, just haven't gotten there yet)! I was happy to read this novel and gain some insights into the author. This was a tragic and emotional novel. There were definitely portions that dragged a bit, more so in the middle during the main character's prison sentence. Overall, despite the intense tragedy at both the beginning and end of the book, I think it is insightful, worthy of reading, and a worthwhile novel. There are definitely some triggers in this book and I personally was shocked by the dramatic beginning and ending. I enjoyed the book but will admit that there is overall a pretty bleak vibe but the meaningful writing and intentions shown through, and that made up for the heaviness of the contents. Thank you again for the chance to finally gain insight into Wally Lamb's work and I look forward to reading some of his previous novels.

Ten million stars wouldn't be enough! Wally Lamb has always been my favorite author. I thought that he was retired because it's been so long since his last book but he was clearly very hard at work. This book is a masterpiece and may be my favorite story that he has written. Very, very few books are this realistic and even less can leave me crying. The characters are layered and complicated. This wasn't a happy story but it will stick with you forever.
Thank you so much @marysueruccibooks, Simon Element and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a Wally Lamb book, but when I did read them I loved them. I was happy to see he was releasing a new book and I am grateful to have received an early copy to read.
It hits you hard, right from chapter one. An “event” that tears a family apart. The inevitable suffering and guilt that it brings. Wally Lamb tells us a story of an every day family. A unimaginable tragedy that could happen to an everyday regular guy and his family. It’s a cautionary tale as well. Alcohol and drugs can be dangerous and tragedy can stem from using them. It’s something most of us have likely heard many times. A story like this is a strong reminder of that. It’s definitely a story to make you think.
Corby is a father, a husband, a son. When he loses his job, his life goes down a path that is not ideal and continues to get worse over time. That path again changes after Corby changes the life of his whole family. He heads to jail and ensures suffering, psychologically, physically, emotionally. It has very strong Shawshank Redemption vibes. If you enjoyed that story (I loved it), you will likely find this one to be just as good.
The twist at the end was definitely unexpected and really brought everything together.
I’m planning to go back and read some of Wally Lamb’s books that I didn’t get to read yet. This reminded me what a great storyteller he is. On a side note, as a CT resident, it made things more real to me when Wally Lamb inserted references to familiar places!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Element Publishing for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I was so very grateful to have received an ARC of this book. The writing is so clear and precise that we are compelled to continue reading this extremely difficult story. Corby is a fun, dynamic, full time dad to twin almost two year-olds. Unfortunately, he abuses alcohol and anti anxiety drugs which leads to a life changing event resulting in Corby being incarcerated. A very detailed telling of his time in prison follows. Doesn't sound like an easy read but the storytelling is perfect! I highly recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A sad but totally engrossing story of a horrific accident that happened to drug and alcohol addiction. It was a hard story to read at times and many tears in between pages but so worth it. I absolutely love Wally Lamb and this novel did not disappoint.

This book was ok for me. I felt like there was redemption and acknowledgment found very early on, and it almost felt belabored in detail. I was captured in the beginning, and loved the concept.

This is the story of one man who thinks he has lost it all, until he finds the depth goes a lot farther, and a lot more devastating, than he could ever have imagined.

I feel the need to be careful in my review, as I think that the story benefits from going in mostly blind. Some quick trigger warnings for those that need them: alcohol and drug abuse, on page death, prison dynamics.

Things I liked:
Wally’s straightforward approach to storytelling
The complexities that make up the human experience
The journey of redemption

There are elements I felt could have been expanded on, and other elements I felt too much time was spent on. There was an abruptness to the conclusion that felt incomplete to me. All that being said, the honesty and compassion in Lamb’s writing never fails. I hope we don’t have to wait another nine years for his next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element for the opportunity to read The River is Waiting in exchange for my honest review. This is a tragic, heartwrenching story written so beautifully by Wally Lamb. I am a very slow reader, but when I wasn't reading this book, I thought about it and what would happen next. The story is told mostly from Corby's perspective as he goes through life and the trials of love, marriage, family, addiction, and a tragedy that ultimately leads Corby to prison. I found myself in tears a few times as the characters in this story were very relatable. The River is Waiting is one that I will stick with me for a long time. I give this all five stars and would give more if I could.

I've seen a lot of criticism of this book and I have to agree it's not my favorite Lamb book. However, I've read them all and have been anxiously waiting 9+ years for each one and this one still got me. I did not anticipate the ending, although I'm sick of covid stories. I also understand his desire of writing a prison story as he taught literature/ writing in prison and published inmates stories as well. Yes I read those as well.

For most of the story, I didn't "get" how Corby couldn't understand Emily's side and felt he was very selfish. Then the very end, hearing Emily's story, I get very emotional.

Not Lamb's best, but I'm still a fan

Since Corby lost his job, he finds himself drinking more and more, even during the day when caring for his two year old twins. He’s also taking too much of his prescribed benzodiazepines, but fools himself into thinking it’s all under control.
Except it’s not, and the consequences tragically ripple across the depths of his life and those around him.
We follow Corby as he navigates prison and see the harsh realities of life inside.
This is a story about a terribly flawed and human man whose reality is so suffocatingly depressing and done of his own making, and it can be hard to read at times.
No one can devastate with words quite like Wally Lamb.
And while this book is heavy, it’s also necessary for all the range of emotions displayed so vulnerably in this character you simultaneously feel for and condemn. A really complicated situation and character— complicated, exactly like life is.
Well done.

My thanks to Wally Lamb, Simon Element and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Corby Ledbetter is having a hard time since losing his job. He stays home with his twins and numbs the day with alcohol and prescription benzodiazepines. When he causes a terrible tragedy, he’s sent to prison and is left with his own guilt.

I love love loved this one! I was hooked immediately and really understood and felt for Corby. I don’t see many stories that take place in prison, and it was certainly an interesting environment to read about. It was very frustrating seeing the poor treatment and the bullying within the institution but loved that there were some people that presented as hope as well. The ending knocked me over. I loved how we gained a few new perspectives at the end also.

“I just don’t know how I’m going to survive in this place for the next three years.”

The River is Waiting comes out 5/6.

Corby is struggling. His relationship with his wife, Emily, is on shaky ground. He is also addicted to anxiety medication. Tragedy strikes this family and it is so heartbreaking. This was a difficult read for me because it was just so heartbreaking and emotional. I love Wally Lamb's writing and this book is so beautifully written. Thank you to Net Galley and Simon Element for an advanced copy.

Corby Ledbetter is struggling. New fatherhood, the loss of his job, and a growing secret addiction have thrown his marriage to his devoted wife, Emily, into turmoil. And that’s before the tragedy that shatters his family. Sentenced to prison, Corby must navigate a brutal and unforgiving world, where violence and despair are constant threats.

Yet amid the darkness, he finds unexpected moments of connection—glimpses of humanity in a place designed to strip it away. As he gains self-awareness, Corby begins searching for redemption, but the lingering question remains: Can those he loves ever truly forgive him?

The River is Waiting isn’t always an easy book to read, but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. Wally Lamb doesn’t shy away from difficult themes—grief, addiction, and the weight of our choices—but he handles them with depth and honesty. I found myself completely immersed in Corby’s story, feeling his struggles, regrets, and moments of hope as if they were my own.

At times, I had to pause and sit with what I had just read—some moments were raw and challenging. But even in its heaviest moments, this novel never felt hopeless. The relationships Corby forms in prison—especially with the librarian, his cellmate, and a young inmate—add layers of humanity and serve as a reminder that even in the darkest places, redemption is possible.

This is a book that lingers long after you turn the last page. It makes you reflect—not just on Corby’s story, but on forgiveness, accountability, and whether true atonement is ever possible. If you’re looking for a novel that is both gripping and deeply moving, The River is Waiting is one you won’t soon forget. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free review copy.

Thank you NetGalley, S & S/Marysue Rucci Books and Wally Lamb for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of The River is Waiting.
This is a heart wrenching story about a young family’s experience with tragedy. A new father of twins, Corby, makes some awful choices that tears this family apart. He is sentenced to prison where he struggled to survive witnessing many acts of brutality. Yet, he also experiences friendship, small acts of kindness and time to reflect on himself and his ownership in this tragedy.
I have read many of Wally Lamb’s novels and loved them all. This one is right up there too. The characters are well developed and I became immersed in the story from start to finish. I cringed, cried and had hopeful moments as Corby experienced the ups and downs of his prison sentence. I was exhausted by the end but enjoyed every minute of this emotional story.