The River Is Waiting

Heartbreaking, gut wrenching, tragic, thought provoking and hard to put down! The River Is Waiting put me and its characters through an emotional ringer. The River Is Waiting explores themes of guilt, loss, addiction, anger, blame, forgiveness, bullying, choices, redemption, and marriage. This is not an easy read at all. It’s a pull out your heart and stomp on it kind of book/story. Yet, it is so beautifully written and told, that I could not put it down as I soaked up the heaviness of the plot. I appreciated how the author looked at guilt, blame and forgiveness. How do you forgive the unforgiveable? How do you forgive yourself? Is there redemption to be found?

Corby Ledbetter is a father of twins who recently lost his job, is watching his toddlers while his wife works, and is secretly hiding his addictions. His marriage to Emily is strained and when a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy occurs it rips both of their worlds apart. Corby is responsible for the devastating loss and is sentenced to prison. There he will meet many men who will play a part in his life as he will play a part in theirs. He holds onto his hope of rebuilding his life with his wife upon his release….

Man, this book will kick you in the teeth. It is heartbreaking and I felt for both Emily and Corby during this book. We never get Emily’s POV and there were times that I really wanted to know her thoughts. But this is a book about Corby and his journey. This book also looks at the prison system and life behind bars. The bullying that takes place there, the treatment of inmates, the handling of mental health issues, the flaws in the system, and the treatment of inmates.

There is so much to discuss with this book which makes it a great book for book clubs. This book evoked so many emotions for me and at times I needed to grab some tissues as my tears fell like rain onto the pages. This is a heavy, raw, and sad yet powerful book that may not be for everyone. In the bleakness of this book there are acts of kindness, expressions of love, supportive individuals, and moments of strength.

This book earned every one of the stars and then some. This is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Wally Lamb delivered his most powerful book to date. This book is raw from beginning to end. This is a book that is going to stay with me for quite some time.

Beautifully written, well thought out, heartbreaking, tragic, and evoking emotion. I highly recommend this book but know that it might have some triggers for some readers.

Thank you to Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.