The River Is Waiting Audiobook By Wally Lamb cover art

The River Is Waiting

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The River Is Waiting

By: Wally Lamb
Narrated by: Jeremy Sisto
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About this listen

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of two Oprah Book Club Picks—She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True—Wally Lamb comes the propulsive story of a young father who, after an unbearable tragedy, reckons with the possibility of atonement for the unforgivable.

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
Crime Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Sagas Heartfelt
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Emotional Rollercoaster • Compelling Storytelling • Excellent Pacing • Realistic Characters • Raw Emotions
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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.

Forgiveness

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Such a tapestry of so many tragic misunderstandings, cruel judgments, and refusals to attempt to understand. My heart hurts.



Such heartbreak

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Loved this book. Cried my eyes out at the end. Such a tragic story. So moving!

Heart

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The story is so compelling, the characters so real. Really worth the read. I couldn’t put it down, even in the most difficult parts.

Another Wally Lamb wow

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I have never written a review for a book before. Not ever! But this book is incredible. I just felt moved to write a review, like I had to. I will never forget these characters. I was sitting at work today at a meeting thinking about Corbi, and about his tragic ending. I can't remember ever feeling like this after listening to an audio book, and I've listened to plenty. This was such an amazing read. The characters stay with you. Just, Wow! Bravo, Wally Lamb.

Just, Wow! Purchase this book. Thank me later.

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Wally Lamb is my very favorite author. He makes you fall in love with the main character and leaves you changes forever.

Another stamp on my soul, Corby.

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How heartbreaking ❤️‍🩹. I really loved this book. It was a true to life story that was told from a different angle than you would have expected. Sometimes I think the world needs more of that. I like that he didn’t muddle up the story with a bunch of characters that mean nothing or unnecessary side stories. Easy to follow and really kept the reader engaged and interested. Beautifully written.

Heartbreaking true to life

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I was hooked from the beginning and finished within a couple of days! Wonderful story from a favorite writer! And, narration of an excellent! You won’t be disappointed

Excellent and Compelling

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I understand why this Is the Oprah Book Club pick. I was immediately drawn into this book after reading the first sentence, by the end of the first chapter I was like wtf. The storyline is incredible as I have come to expect from this author. I have read all his other books. What i didn’t expect was this ending. This story is about forgiving the unforgivable combined with addition snd surviving in the prison system

A true story teller

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Wally Lamb has written many great novels and this one was very good. my disappointment stems from the fact that he has chosen to add politics into his writing, showing bias and unfairness to the thousand of readers whom do not share his political views. We encounter political hatred everywhere we turn these days, do we need it in fiction literature as well. You lost me Wally Lamb!

Dissapointed

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