The River Is Waiting: A Novel

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From the #1New York Timesbestselling author of two Oprah Book Club PicksShes Come UndoneandI Know This Much Is TrueWally Lamb comes the propulsive story of a young father who, after an unbearable tragedy, reckons with the possibility of atonement for the unforgivable.

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 thats 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 mothers 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

Reviews

[A] heart-wrenching story of redemption Lamb lays bare the vagaries of his protagonists life in accessible prose and concludes on a bittersweet note. This will please the authors fans. Publishers Weekly
Riveting Lamb expertly shows [Corbys] arduous, bumpy progression a gripping [] story of grief, guilt, and healing. Kirkus
"Wally Lamb has always written with compassion for all of his characters, no matter their flaws. But here, in this moving exploration of an otherwise good man and loving father who happens to be an addict, Lamb goes deeply into what it means not only to survive tragedy, but to actually heal from it by stepping tentatively into real forgiveness. I could not put down The River is Waiting, and I predict that you won't be able to either.Andre Dubus III, New York Times bestselling author of House of Sand and Fog and Ghost Dogs
A heartwrenching, moving tale about the power of forgiveness, resilience and growth. Woman's World, "12 Most Anticipated Books of 2025"
"I was awestruck by this brilliant novel! I know that authenticity isnt the sexiest takeaway, but on my honor, page after riveting page, I asked myself, How did he know this How is this so moving, so real, so close to the bone Bravo, Wally Lamb. Not that you needed another masterpiece to demonstrate your unerring eye, ear, and signature heart, but may I say The River is Waiting might crown them all. Elinor Lipman, author of Every Tom, Dick & Harry and Ms. Demeanor
"As usual, Wally Lamb gripped me with his perceptive, page-turning novel, The River Is Waiting, a story that illuminates how the traumas of mass incarceration and addiction stigma spare no one.Lamb delivers whats most needed in these turbulent timesan absolute empathy bomb." Beth Macy, author of Dopesick and Raising Lazarus
"Time and time again, the amazingWally Lambs imperfect people break our hearts and help us understand the unfathomable depths of guilt and grief as we look for light in the world." Alice Hoffman,New York Timesbestselling author of The Practical Magic series
The River is Waiting is an ambitious, affecting novel thats not afraid to look directly at human suffering, and to map out the pain we inflict on others, and on ourselves. With an unflinching eye and an unsentimental compassion for his characters, Wally Lamb finds glimmers of hope and healing and decency in the darkest places." Tom Perrotta,New York Timesbestselling author of The Leftovers and Little Children

Author Bio

Wally Lamb is the author of sixNew York Timesbestselling novels:Ill Take You There,We Are Water,Wishin and Hopin, The Hour I First Believed,I Know This Much Is True, andShes Come Undone. Lamb also editedCouldnt Keep It to MyselfandIll Fly Away, two volumes of essays from students in his writing workshop at York Correctional Institution, a womens prison in Connecticut, where he was a volunteer facilitator for twenty years. Lamb lives in Connecticut with his wife, Christine, and they have three sons.