The River is Waiting

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER

#1 New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb, celebrated for two prior Oprah Book Club selections, returns with an exceptional third pick, a propulsive novel following a young father grappling with unbearable tragedy as he searches for hope, redemption, and the possibility of forgiveness.

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 that’s 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 mother'''s 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?


Genre: Literary Fiction

"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

"Time and time again, the amazing Wally Lamb's 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

"I was awestruck by this brilliant novel! I know that 'authenticity' isn't 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

"The River is Waiting is an ambitious, affecting novel that's 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