The River Is Waiting

By: Wally Lamb

Narrated by: Jeremy Sisto

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?

©2025 Wally Lamb (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Forgiveness

I’ve never NOT loved a book by Wally Lamb and this one is no exception. His characters feel completely real and I feel like I know them. Contains brutal descriptions of prison, a system which continues to fail justice today. It centers on how forgiveness can either be given or taken away, sometimes going back and forth from forgiven/unforgiven several times during a lifetime. This one, along with I Know This Much is True, are my absolute favorites. I look forward to Wally Lamb’s next masterpiece.

Good story, great ending. Read, don’t listen.

I alternated between the audiobook and the kindle version, and it was much better to read. I thought Jeremy Sisto was a terrible narrator. When a character is crying while speaking, it’s not necessary to do a “boo-hoo” voice. Great narrators also make subtle changes to their tone and cadence to signal different characters and genders. Sisto didn’t do that and it was so off-putting. I’m glad I was able to experience the book without always listening to him.

Real

Beautifully written and narrated. This is a story and characters that I will not forget. Intense, sad and uplifting, highly recommend.

Absolutely loved this book!

Absolutely loved this book! Looking forward to reading more by Wally Lamb in the future

Couldn't Put Down

WOW..... Where do I begin and then end with my review. All I can say in between is a MUST READ!! I couldn't quit listening. Car, working around the yard, cleaning. The characters are so well written I feel like I know each one personally. Keep your tissues handy. Thank you for such a great book and emotional read.

Haunting

So sad, absolutely heartbreaking but thought provoking. But there for the grace of god go I

Wonderful story

Wally Lamb does it again. The story was great. So many detailed descriptions that brought you right into the happenings. The narrator was excellent….not over done which is what I find often and off putting with some. He let the story tell itself which was much appreciated. I would recommend this book for sure.

Heart wrenching

Wally Lamb writes another book that will stay with me for life. So much sorrow in this book, on the verge of tears multiple times

Intriguing

This book was awesome. the narrator was on point. the ending was a tough thing.

Painful but beautiful

This book left me reeling. It was beautifully written and told but such a painful story.