The River Is Waiting (Oprah's Book Club)

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?

Critic reviews

"Actor Jeremy Sisto is a convincing and talented performer who skillfully immerses listeners in the psyche of Corby Ledbetter, particularly with his tone."

River is Waiting

This book is very depressing as it shows a realistic view on the struggles of addiction and life in a men’s prison. The explicit description of the abuse in the prison is something I wish I never read so be prepared.

Beautifully written

It was hard to hear what was coming next at times. Top ten books for me.

The most devastating book ever

If you are looking for a book that will make you sob and stay on your mind for months then this is the one for you. The writing is incredible and you will find yourself being super emotionally invested.

Disappointing

This book had great potential to be an inspiring story of perseverance, redemption, and finding a bigger purpose in life. Instead the author chose to fill it with politics and stereotypes and failed to develop the main character to believe in anything more meaningful than a rock!

A big error in chapter 3

In chapter 3 at about 17 minutes I found what I think is a big error. He says Emily began spotting in Missouri, and they saw a doctor in Oklahoma City, and she miscarried near Nashville. Did the author or editors happen to check a map? This is just sloppy. They took a very strange route to get to Rhode Island.