Wally Lamb is a master at storytelling. I have loved some of his previous titles and when I saw this new one, I knew I needed to read it. This story is powerful, heartbreaking, hopeful, and raw. I stayed up late because I couldn't stop reading it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Wally Lamb is one of the authors that first got me into reading as an adult, and I've read all of his books. This is, in my opinion, his weakest title. I felt the arc the main character went through, but his other books have so much more nuance and depth, while this felt almost crass at points. I'm not sure if it was the main character or the subject I couldn't fall into, but all in all, it was still a beautiful story.

If you are looking for a compelling story that will keep you up late reading it because you have to know how it ends, you’ve got to read Wally Lamb’s latest novel, THE RIVER IS WAITING. Lamb writes insightfully about difficult topics including incarceration, guilt, addiction, friendship, forgiveness, atonement, mercy, marriage and fatherhood.

When Corby Ledbetter is sentenced to three years in prison for causing a terrible accident that rips his family apart, he doesn’t know if he can forgive himself. Corby enters prison with the understandable trepidation of a man who never imagined himself in such a position, but also feels as if he deserves the punishment. Over time, he’s able to form friendships which change the landscape of his incarceration and teach him about privilege and humanity.

Lamb writes characters I am really able to connect with and as I was reading, I was hoping Corby’s loved ones would forgive him. THE RIVER IS WAITING did not conclude the way I thought it would … The surprise near the end left me with actual goosebumps and the symbolism of the river is perfection.

THE RIVER IS WAITING is not a light book, but it has an uplifting message of hope. It’s one I’ll be contemplating for a while and highly recommend (just as I do all of Lamb’s novels).

A sincere thank you the publisher, Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for an early digital copy of THE RIVER IS WAITING and for the opportunity to give my honest feedback.

Insert gif of Oprah screaming in her “YOU GET A FIVE STAR READ, EVERYONE GETS A FIVE STAR READ!” And this is how I feel about Wally lamb’s latest book The River is Waiting. I devoured this in two days and was devastated when it was over. Do we need to wait another decade for another Wally Lamb book??!!!

I will be the first to tell you that despite how amazing a book might be, I just won’t read it because I have a hard time going over various intense topics : slavery, racism, the American prison system, just to name a few. But, when Wally Lamb writes a book, you run don't walk.

Corby is a husband, and father to twins - Maisie and Niko. Recently laid off from his job and struggling to find a new one, he has become the main caretaker of the house, while his wife continues her job as a teacher. They live what can be considered an idyllic suburban life in Connecticut.
Until tragedy strikes and their entire lives are upended.

What happens next sends Corby to Yates Correctional Prison for three years. Prison - a place where you can only imagine the most hardened criminals go to, not a place where mistakes were made, anything from tax evasion, low level drug trafficking, mental illness, or in Corby’s case, the worst thing that could possibly happen, actually happens.

We spend the entirety of this book watching Corby navigate prison life - the food, the noises, the inmates, the correctional officers. We watch as he succumbs to depression, boredom, sadness, everything you can imagine someone might feel knowing their life will never be the same, both inside and outside of the cell.

Wally Lamb has created another gut wrenching, tear at the heartstrings novel, but still one full of optimism as we watch Corby, and a cast of characters that you won’t soon forget. Whether it’s his wife Emily who struggles to find reasons to stay married to Corby, Manny, his gay bunk mate with a heart of gold, the friendly prison librarian, or correctional officers who think they can treat the inmates like roaches, each character tore at my gut.

The River is Waiting isn’t just about forgiveness and doubt, it’s about the prison system as a whole. These institutions are supposed to “rehabilitate”, so when all is said and done, they return to normal life as if they didn’t just witness the horrors of American justice. Taking away books, decent food, the right to speak up to the abuse, sickens me to my core, as I’m sure Wally Lamb can attest to, having worked with female prison inmates for decades. He proves that we cannot all lump criminals into one group - not everyone deserves the hand they are given to them. I walked away knowing what I already know, the criminal justice system needs a complete reboot starting from the bottom to the top.

Whether or not Corby will find if he is forgiven, his true goal is to forgive himself of his wrongdoings. How you will feel will be debatable, as I went back and forth - how would i feel if that was me? Would I leave my husband? And so forth.

I was blessed to receive an Arc from Netgalley and Simon, and this is one book you will not soon forget. It will surely be one of the most discussed once it hits shelves in 2025.

All the emotions from this one and definitely not an easy read. Corby Ledbetter comes from a childhood of struggles with his father and a loving relationship with his eccentric mother. When he finds the love of his life in Emily, he will stop at nothing to marry her and start a family. A few years later, Corby is struggling with the loss of his job and being a stay at home father to twin toddlers, a boy and a girl. Trying to cope with his unhappiness, he turns to drugs and alcohol. One terrible day, all of his recent bad decisions turn into a nightmare scenario and Corby is sentenced to prison. During his sentence, we meet so many different characters, good and bad. Corby tries to help a younger, disturbed prisoner, makes some good friends and tries to keep his head above water, just waiting to be released and reunited with his beloved Emily. Cruelty is visited upon Corby and he struggles to cope. I’ll leave the rest for the reader to find out, as I don’t want to post spoilers. I’ll just say my heart broke for Corby and I wish Wally Lamb had extended more kindness to our protagonist.
Hard to read and hard to put down. Written with the lyrical prose that Lamb is known for, this book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you, Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the copy of The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Even though this isn’t my usual genre, I'm so glad I read it and I was so immersed in Corby’s life I stayed up reading until 3 am. If you want to read a beautifully written book that tugs at your emotions, evokes feelings of sadness tempered with moments of human caring and empathy, and delves into the intricacies of complicated relationships, this is the book for you. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb due to be published May 6, 2025.
When Corby Ledbetter loses his job and must be the caretaker of his twins, it just exacerbates his growing addiction with alcohol and pills. When a horrible tragedy happens and Corby is sentenced to prison, he struggles to maintain any sense of normalcy until he is released. Can he ever be forgiven by those who love him, or more importantly, forgive himself?
Oh, my goodness – this book. The emotions I went through while reading. How, in the blink of an eye, one happening can change the course of your life forever. Although heartbreaking at times, I could not put it down until I could see how Corby and his story ended. I have always been a Wally Lamb fan, and this reminded me why. This book will stay with me for a long time.
#NetGalley #WallyLamb #Simon Element #TheRiverIsWaiting

Ohhhhhh my gosh!!!!! I just downloaded this book this morning and just finished it. First I'm a HUGE fan of Wally Lamb I own all books. My first book was Shes come undone. Fun fact, I have actually bought 8 copies of that book, and the last one was the Kindle one. People would borrow it and never return it it's also a hard book to get. This one will be my 2nd favorite book. I couldn't put it down. Thank you Wally Lamb for your fantastic writing, your twists, turn, your tear jerking, sometimes maddening books. This is one I will read over and over again and the best part is I don't have to buy 8 copies to share or will I buy many the Kindle version. 😂 If your looking for a book of the year this is the book!