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Gulf Today
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Wally Lamb explores human cruelty and grace in prison with `The River is Waiting'
In Wally Lamb's new novel, "The River Is Waiting," Corby has lost his job as a commercial artist and has developed a secret addiction to alcohol and pills, setting him on a dangerous path that leads to an unfathomable tragedy. Corby starts staying at home during the day with his twin toddlers -- one boy and one girl -- while his wife works as the family's sole breadwinner. Lying to his spouse that he's looking for a job, he starts his mornings drinking hard liquor mixed with his prescription pills for anxiety, leaving him incapable of properly caring for the children he loves. A tragic mix up one morning results in the death of Corby's young son when he accidentally drives over the boy in their driveway. Devastated by the loss of little Niko, Corby now also faces a three-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. "The River Is Waiting" is Lamb's first novel in nine years and a new chance to explore human imperfection as he did in earlier best-selling novels that included "She's Come Undone," about an obese adolescent girl awash in depression, and "I Know This Much Is True," the story of a man fighting to protect his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother. Oprah Winfrey announced Tuesday that she picked "The River Is Waiting" for her book club, the third time she's selected a Lamb book. Almost all the action in Lamb's latest book plays out in prison, an ideal setting to examine the worst and best of humanity. The author taught writing workshops for incarcerated women over two decades, an experience that has helped him to draw a vivid picture of life behind bars, with all its indignities and a few acts of grace. While Corby is tormented by two excessively cruel guards, he also befriends the prison librarian, who shares book recommendations and homemade cookies with inmates who stop by. She even encourages him to paint a mural on the library wall. Several other prisoners also become friends, including a kind cellmate who looks out for him. Corby later tries to look out for someone else - a severely troubled young inmate who shouldn't have been locked up with hardened criminals. During his imprisonment, Corby worries about whether his beloved wife, Emily, and their daughter, Maisie, can ever forgive him. But the experience hasn't left him especially enlightened. At the end, Corby remains mostly a self-centered guy. He's no hero and there's no big epiphany. Like the protagonists in Lamb's earlier novels, he is utterly human, failings and all. Associated Press
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Oprah's June book club pick is here and it's an author she's loved since the '90s
Oprah's June book club pick is here and it's an author she's loved since the '90s Oprah Winfrey has made her latest book club selection, and this time it's a fan favorite. 'The River is Waiting' by Wally Lamb (out now from Simon & Schuster), a propulsive crime novel following a young father after an unforgivable tragedy, is the Oprah book club pick for June. It's the third time Oprah has chosen a Lamb book for her book club – first 'She's Come Undone' in 1997 and 'I Know This Much Is True' in 1998. In a statement, Winfrey says her third pick from the author is indicative of 'what I think of this truly masterful and beloved writer.' 'Wally Lamb takes us on an incredible and transformative journey from the depths of despair to the healing power of facing the truth and finding forgiveness,' Winfrey said in a statement. Oprah's Book Club June pick: 'The River is Waiting' by Wally Lamb 'The River is Waiting' follows Corby Ledbetter, a struggling new father who is already mourning the loss of his job and the consequences of his secret addiction before tragedy strikes. Now incarcerated, Corby struggles with the violence and brutality of prison but also finds a prison librarian, a good-natured cellmate and a troubled teen who give him something to fight for. This novel is his quest for forgiveness and hope. Lamb is the author of nine books, including two nonfiction collections of testimonies from imprisoned women, 'Couldn't Keep It To Myself' and 'I'll Fly Away.' His second novel, "I Know This Much Is True," was adapted into a miniseries starring Mark Ruffalo in 2000. In a statement, Lamb reflected on his four phone conversations with Winfrey over his career, three of which were to notify him of the book club selection. The first time she called him, it was 1992 and Winfrey simply wanted to express her gratitude for him writing 'She's Come Undone.' Five years later, she chose it as her fourth book club pick. 'I'm not sure why I've been on the receiving end of such grace and good fortune, but I try to live each day expressing my gratitude in the way I treat others,' Lamb said in a statement. 'And of those four phone conversations with Oprah, I think my favorite may be the first one, before there was an Oprah's Book Club, when I received a validating gift from an avid reader who just wanted to thank me for having written my book.' Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
San Francisco Chronicle
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Book Review: Wally Lamb explores human cruelty and grace in prison with `The River is Waiting'
Corby Ledbetter is in trouble. In Wally Lamb's new novel, 'The River Is Waiting,' Corby has lost his job as a commercial artist and has developed a secret addiction to alcohol and pills, setting him on a dangerous path that leads to an unfathomable tragedy. Corby starts staying at home during the day with his twin toddlers — one boy and one girl — while his wife works as the family's sole breadwinner. Lying to his spouse that he's looking for a job, he starts his mornings drinking hard liquor mixed with his prescription pills for anxiety, leaving him incapable of properly caring for the children he loves. A tragic mix up one morning results in the death of Corby's young son when he accidentally drives over the boy in their driveway. Devastated by the loss of little Niko, Corby now also faces a three-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. 'The River Is Waiting' is Lamb's first novel in nine years and a new chance to explore human imperfection as he did in earlier best-selling novels that included 'She's Come Undone,' about an obese adolescent girl awash in depression, and 'I Know This Much Is True,' the story of a man fighting to protect his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother. Oprah Winfrey announced Tuesday that she picked 'The River Is Waiting' for her book club, the third time she's selected a Lamb book. Almost all the action in Lamb's latest book plays out in prison, an ideal setting to examine the worst and best of humanity. The author taught writing workshops for incarcerated women over two decades, an experience that has helped him to draw a vivid picture of life behind bars, with all its indignities and a few acts of grace. While Corby is tormented by two excessively cruel guards, he also befriends the prison librarian, who shares book recommendations and homemade cookies with inmates who stop by. She even encourages him to paint a mural on the library wall. Several other prisoners also become friends, including a kind cellmate who looks out for him. Corby later tries to look out for someone else — a severely troubled young inmate who shouldn't have been locked up with hardened criminals. During his imprisonment, Corby worries about whether his beloved wife, Emily, and their daughter, Maisie, can ever forgive him. But the experience hasn't left him especially enlightened. At the end, Corby remains mostly a self-centered guy. He's no hero and there's no big epiphany. Like the protagonists in Lamb's earlier novels, he is utterly human, failings and all. ___
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Book Review: Wally Lamb explores human cruelty and grace in prison with `The River is Waiting'
Corby Ledbetter is in trouble. In Wally Lamb's new novel, 'The River Is Waiting,' Corby has lost his job as a commercial artist and has developed a secret addiction to alcohol and pills, setting him on a dangerous path that leads to an unfathomable tragedy. Corby starts staying at home during the day with his twin toddlers — one boy and one girl — while his wife works as the family's sole breadwinner. Lying to his spouse that he's looking for a job, he starts his mornings drinking hard liquor mixed with his prescription pills for anxiety, leaving him incapable of properly caring for the children he loves. A tragic mix up one morning results in the death of Corby's young son when he accidentally drives over the boy in their driveway. Devastated by the loss of little Niko, Corby now also faces a three-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. 'The River Is Waiting' is Lamb's first novel in nine years and a new chance to explore human imperfection as he did in earlier best-selling novels that included 'She's Come Undone,' about an obese adolescent girl awash in depression, and 'I Know This Much Is True,' the story of a man fighting to protect his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother. Oprah Winfrey announced Tuesday that she picked 'The River Is Waiting' for her book club, the third time she's selected a Lamb book. Almost all the action in Lamb's latest book plays out in prison, an ideal setting to examine the worst and best of humanity. The author taught writing workshops for incarcerated women over two decades, an experience that has helped him to draw a vivid picture of life behind bars, with all its indignities and a few acts of grace. While Corby is tormented by two excessively cruel guards, he also befriends the prison librarian, who shares book recommendations and homemade cookies with inmates who stop by. She even encourages him to paint a mural on the library wall. Several other prisoners also become friends, including a kind cellmate who looks out for him. Corby later tries to look out for someone else — a severely troubled young inmate who shouldn't have been locked up with hardened criminals. During his imprisonment, Corby worries about whether his beloved wife, Emily, and their daughter, Maisie, can ever forgive him. But the experience hasn't left him especially enlightened. At the end, Corby remains mostly a self-centered guy. He's no hero and there's no big epiphany. Like the protagonists in Lamb's earlier novels, he is utterly human, failings and all. book reviews: /hub/book-reviews
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
Winfrey's new book club pick marks the return of an old favorite, Wally Lamb
NEW YORK -- For her next book club pick, Oprah Winfrey is highlighting an author she has praised even before she had a book club. Winfrey announced Tuesday that she has chosen Wally Lamb's new novel, 'The River Is Waiting,' the story of a father torn by grief and guilt. It's the third time she's selected a Lamb book and continues a bond predating 1996, when she launched her club. 'I've had four phone conversations with Ms. Winfrey,' Lamb said in a statement, remembering how she called to praise his debut novel, 'She's Come Undone' upon its release, in 1992. Five years later, she phoned with the news that 'She's Come Undone' was her latest book club pick. In 1998, Winfrey picked Lamb's 'I Know This Much Is True,' his second novel. 'I was as shocked as ever last month when I answered the phone and heard Ms. Winfrey's voice again, twenty-seven years after the last time we had talked,' he said. 'She told me my latest novel, 'The River Is Waiting,' would be the 115th title in her beloved Book Club. I'm not sure why I've been on the receiving end of such grace and good fortune, but I try to live each day expressing my gratitude in the way I treat others.' Winfrey's conversation with Lamb can be heard on the latest episode of 'Oprah's Book Club: Presented by Starbucks,' a podcast available through Winfrey's YouTube channel and other outlets. 'I know many of you might remember that Wally and I go way back because I picked his very first book in 1997 for my book club, and then I chose his second book the next year,' Winfrey said in a statement. 'And now with 'The River Is Waiting' – we've selected three novels by the same author and that should tell you ALL you need to know about what I think of this truly masterful and beloved writer.'
