The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb... A Review

 

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

After the end of 12 pages I wanted to put this book down and never open it again. I was devastated. I am being dead serious. What happened in this book just ripped my heart out. Omg, how could I read on...

Wally Lamb writes about tough subjects. The last book I read of his was The Hour I First Believed, which was about the Columbine shooting. I remember being blown away by the book. Could I feel the same way about The River is Waiting.

When I did a google search of The River is Waiting, I came upon a FB reading group that had a discussion about the book after the post of one of the members with the line, "Turns out I won’t be reading past the first chapter. Anyone else?" 296 comments followed with the majority encouraging the member to push on. So I did.

The story continues with guilt, pain, and injustice as Corby Ledbetter, father and husband to two young twins tries to redeem himself after causing unbelievable heartache to his family. Okay. My pain from reading the first 12 pages dissipates a little and the story takes on a different demeanor, it turns into a story of redemption and survival... and then, at almost 300 pages the author has to, again, rip my heart out. The heart I somehow managed to put back together from the first 12 pages. All I can think is "Why am I reading this book!?".

But I continue (because I hate to not finish a book and I only have 150 pages or so to go)... and I finish the book... and I just sit there quietly. I was trying to figure out if I really liked this book. Yes, the book was good. Well written. Threw my emotions all over the place. Can we truly say it was a good read when it was so depressing. I was emotionally drained by the time I turned that last page. What I can say is that this would make a great book club pick. There are so many things that the group could discuss. And I imagine it would be a lively discussion too. There are so many things I want to discuss! I honestly didn't see the ending coming. After thinking about it more, I can't see it ending any other way. 

These characters will stay with me for a long time. They are complex and interesting. I unintentionally was living their story right along with them, wondering how I would handle certain situations. Wally Lamb is an amazing writer.

I wanted to give this book 3 stars for all the heartache it caused me, but I really can't. When a book takes you on such an emotional journey, where the lives of the characters really matter to you, no matter how depressing the story is, you have to acknowledge the writing. And the writing is at least 4 stars. The story, even though it was a hard story, was worth the read. 

**If you are sensitive reader, you should do a google search,"The River is Waiting trigger warnings" and read about these triggers first. I won't spoil the story by listing them here.

Published by Marysue Rucci Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster , June of 2025.