The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

The propulsive story of a young father who, after an unbearable tragedy, reckons with the possibility of atonement for the unforgivable.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

June 2025; S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books; 978-1668006399
audio, ebook, print (480 pages); literary fiction

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 tragic event occurs, Corby is sent to prison, and his grief over his loss makes him realize that prison is where he should be.  As he struggles to survive life inside, he 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 new prison 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. I had to put it down several times because of the emotions I was feeling.   It's a nuanced look at love and forgiveness by others, but more importantly,y 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.

Buy The River is Waiting at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

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