The River Is Waiting

The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb
6/10/25; 480 pages
Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books

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 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 brutalty 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.